In 1897 George Smith applied for a British patent to cover the unique neck shape found on this anti shank iron. He never bothered to complete his patent, but that apparently did not stop him from collecting royalties. Many clubs having his neck design were produced by various makers and marked with Smith's name or "Smith's Model".

This example is a beautiful "Howitzer" model with its original shaft and grip. It is stamped with the cleekmark of a hand, indicating that the club was made by Scottish clubmaker, George Nicoll.  The large sole of this club was ahead of its time and is what really sets this club apart from the typical anti-shank niblick.