Seymour Manufacturing, Catalog No.23

[FortyTwoBlades]

I just recently was fortunate enough to get my hands on this phenomenal catalog and just completed scanning and uploading it. Some real gems in here that I'd not seen before, and I can only hope I get the chance to see a few of the snaths and cradles shown here in person. Much like the Derby, Ball, & Edwards catalog I'd previously uploaded, this one tells the retailer to destroy any old catalogs in their possession--no wonder I hadn't seen any Seymour catalogs from the golden age of scythes pop up in the past! This one was likely printed roughly a few years plus-or-minus 1931 due to the inclusion of loose-leaf snaths patented late that year.

 

[John A. Larsen]

I just recently was fortunate enough to get my hands on this phenomenal catalog and just completed scanning and uploading it. Some real gems in here that I'd not seen before, and I can only hope I get the chance to see a few of the snaths and cradles shown here in person. Much like the Derby, Ball, & Edwards catalog I'd previously uploaded, this one tells the retailer to destroy any old catalogs in their possession--no wonder I hadn't seen any Seymour catalogs from the golden age of scythes pop up in the past! This one was likely printed roughly a few years plus-or-minus 1931 due to the inclusion of loose-leaf snaths patented late that year.

I wonder how big the company was and how many people worked for it, as it seems to have had a lot of different tools available? John

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I wonder how big the company was and how many people worked for it, as it seems to have had a lot of different tools available? John

Seymour? They're still around today as Seymour Midwest. They were originally founded by 10 members of the local community after the state prison system stopped using convicts for forced labor and they took over the workshop that the Indiana State Prison had been using to make snaths, cradles, and wagon spokes. By 1908 they were constructing a new factory and at that time employed 25 men and aimed to double it in short order. Today they have several different warehousing locations in different states, so while I'm unable to speak to the size of their current staff, I'd say it's of a reasonable size.