Park's Patent Lofter holds a unique and prominent position in the history of golf. Covered under Willie Park Jr's 1889 British patent, Park's Patent Lofter was the first iron to ever receive a patent. When one stops and thinks about the tens of thousands of patents that have been issued to cover an iron, being the first such iron merits a special place in history.

According to Park's patent, the concave face on his patent lofter would provide the golfer with added backspin.  The idea of a concave face was actually not a new one.  Large, heavy irons made prior to 1850 often had a concave face. Park was apparently trying to profit a little by giving concave face irons a new life.

This example is stamped "Parks Patent Lofter" on the back of the head and "Wm. Park" on the shaft. The grip is an old sheepskin, likely from the same period of time but also likely not the original grip (it's tough to tell absolutely as the original grip could have come apart years ago before being reattached years later). The head, showing no nicks or wear, has been cleaned and is ready for the next 100 years.  The face is nicely concave top to bottom.