In 1904 James Winton, a well-respected clubmaker in Montrose, Scotland, offered an array of perforated-face water and rake irons designed and patented by James Brown, a blacksmith in Montrose. Deemed the "Heros of the Hazards," Brown irons were designed to help golfers hit shots from water, sand, and high grass. Despite being the most visual of clubs created during the early 20th century, they never really caught on.  Some golfers tried them but soon learned the clubs did not work very well.  It's in the failed attempts of the most creative clubmaking ideas that some of the greatest golf collectibles are born, which is why all of Brown's perforated face irons are outstanding collectibles. 

The James Brown perforated mid iron offered here is among the rarest clubs from Brown's family of water/rake irons. The face scoring on this example consists of a ball in a circle pattern.

The accompanying 1904 Golf Illustrated advertisement shows Brown's array of water/rake irons. The other three items in the accompanying group image are not part of this lot.