Snow & Nealley time line

BeardedSteve said:
. . . these are a few that my Grandfather bought when they closed down in the 90s. He had a friend that called him and told him if he wanted any he had better get some now. Gramps may have used one or two of them (very light scuffing on some) once or twice. Pretty much perfect though. They spent ages in an attic before my father gave them to me. . .


. . .
Click to expand...
What a neat set of axes and story about your grandfather to go along with them. Thanks for posting. :)

Bob
 
1937 Snow and Nealley Co. Lumbering Tools Catalog Bangor Maine

s-l1600.jpg

on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/192042843856?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Bob
 
I discovered, through the use of Google-Fu, a Snow and Nealley 3-1/2 lb double bitted axe being sold by a GA company called Gardener's Tool Shed. Their website is spartan, to put it kindly, but the pic online appears to show a Smyrna, ME haft marking. At $80 including a sheath, I thought it was interesting enough to order one. If it turns out to be new US manufacture and so marked, I will be happy to see realistic domestic competition for CT. If it's not, I can just send it back.

Will post updates when it arrives.
 
For years, I have been trying to figure out what that October 1, 1952 date is all about....nobody seems to know.
 
Thought I would attach this to the timeline (post #93)

2017 (March) Lehman's Snow & Neally offerings
32400650053_451c85d199_c.jpg



Bob
 
Last edited:
continued from post #3

1956 William "Bill" Bowdoin Nealley named company president.
Bangor Daily News Feb 4 1994:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=u1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2376,1158411&hl=en

23989728181_73da967c83.jpg


1984 William "Bill" Bowdoin Nealley dies. Wife Lois Newcomb Nealley becomes sole owner.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=u1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2385,1163694&hl=en

23964145742_5c589ef967.jpg


198? "...the Snow & Nealley Co., has been competing globally since the late 1980's."
Bangor Daily News Feb 4, 1994:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=C2o-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=u1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3536,1172464

1989 Snow & Nealley spins off it's industrial supply division.
Bangor Daily News Feb 4, 1994:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=u1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2385,1163694&hl=en

1990 Nealley family decides to take over the daily management.
Bangor Daily News Feb 4, 1994 pg 5:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=u1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2385,1163694&hl=en
24291432583_75c3713416.jpg


1991 Snow & Nealley hires firm to create upscale packaging
"The agency developed new package designs for two products that would serve as market tests for the new look: Snow & Nealley's Garden Tool Gift Pack, a boxed set of three hand garden tools; and the Split 'n Kindle Set, featuring a Hudson Bay Kindling Ax and the company's popular Mini Maul."
Bangor Daily News Feb 4, 1994, page 6:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=C2o-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=u1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3536,1172464

Garden Tool Gift Pack
29165832946_9e99918425_b.jpg


Split 'n Kindle Set
32417414942_ffa5725466_c.jpg

31758314063_9d86344f77_c.jpg

24892014796_df7d661ab0.jpg


Display
33685732266_790712a34a_c.jpg

1994 Articles on products and overseas business.
Bangor Daily News Feb 4, 1994, page 6:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=C2o-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=u1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2354,1173171

1994 Article on forging and heat treatment processes, "Snow & Nealley's axes, ... are naturally black in color...".
Bangor Daily News Feb 4, 1994, page 7:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=C2o-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=u1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2363,1177593

1994 Worker grinding a tool.
Bangor Daily News Feb 4, 1994, page 8:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=C2o-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=u1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3502,1182964
24042159492_dbfaaebbfa.jpg


199? David S. Nealley, son of Bill and Lois, president of Snow & Nealley.
Bangor Daily News Apr 8, 1998:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=uA4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=4366,2325234&hl=en

23989673451_5fce1eb39e.jpg

note: there is strong evidence that William Pope Nealley (right) was Edward Bowdoin Nealley's (left) half-brother.

1998 Snow and Nealley's website at the time, courtesy of the Wayback Machine
https://web.archive.org/web/19980523232201/http://www.sntools.com/axestool.htm
31118525632_aff9ebb83f_c.jpg

note: summary in post #27

​


1998 Christopher Hutchins buys Snow & Nealley.
Bangor Daily News:
http://archive.bangordailynews.com/2003/10/25/134-year-old-tool-maker-closing-down/

2000 Snow and Nealley's website at the time, courtesy of the Wayback Machine
https://web.archive.org/web/20000527012450/http://www.snowandnealley.com/snshop/dept.asp?dept_id=1
31135103532_57cb97851b_c.jpg

note: summary in post #30

Hutchins era:
​

2003 tool making stops "139-year-old tool maker closing down". "Now a salesperson is all that's left to sell and ship off the remaining inventory..."
Bangor Daily News Oct 24, 2003":
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=ZeEIAAAAIBAJ&pg=1758,2602482&hl=en

2003 Snow and Nealley's website at the time, courtesy of the Wayback Machine
https://web.archive.org/web/2003030...creen=CTGY&Store_Code=SNWS&Category_Code=Axes
31148130001_d3be33d5e3_c.jpg

note: summary in post #31

2007 tool making resumes Snow & Nealley moves to Brewer. "makes 10 different types of axes and mauls"
Bangor Daily News April 20, 2007:
http://archive.bangordailynews.com/2007/04/20/snow-nealley-moves-to-brewer/

2012 Snow and Nealley's website at the time, courtesy of the Wayback Machine
https://web.archive.org/web/20120111062112/http://www.snowandnealley.com/products/axes/obsb3530.htm
30895264040_a180c9a884_c.jpg

note: summary in post #32

2012 Chris Hilty’s family buys Snow & Nealley and moves business to Smyrna.
Down East magazine:
http://downeast.com/best-maine-home-garden/

2015 Quote from Chris Hilty “The heads are drop forged right here in the US. The previous owner, before we bought the place, he had to go overseas. But we were able to bring that back, and now each axe is forged and finished in America. Right here, we finish the heads, temper them and sharpen them, so they’re ready to go as soon as you take the leather cover off the blade.”
Lehman's Country Life blog by Karen Johnson May 18, 2015:
http://countrylife.lehmans.com/us-made-cuts-the-deal-for-snow-and-nealley/
23964163952_cedc81dc80.jpg


2016 (June):
27787306091_220c71a91a_c.jpg


2017 (March) Lehman's Snow & Neally offerings
32400650053_451c85d199_c.jpg


2017 (April) Forestry Suppliers's Snow & Neally offerings
33900876560_cdae4d4403_o.jpg
 
Last edited:
In 1998 Christopher Hutchins bought Snow & Nealley from the Nealley descendents. In 2003 Hutchins stopped making tools and sold the remaining stock. In 2007 he resumed production. I do not have a citation, but it seems likely that this was when the forged heads were imported from China. The Hilty family bought S & N in 2012 and moved the business to Smyrna. Chris Hilty “said of the heads "The previous owner, before we bought the place, he had to go overseas."

Even though this article is from 2013, the Hutchens era axes (as I call them) would probably be what was still available at that time. Note the handle is marked Bangor.


http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/su...t-axes-11-awesome-axes-hatchets-and-tomahawks


Bob
 
quinton said:
"Handles are made from only straight grain hickory"
The Hudson Bay camping axe really stands out. I guess consumer's believe anything written.
Click to expand...
From the store display board from which you quote (see post #93) I got a bigger kick out of this statement: "The Hudson Bay camping axe was originally designed for trappers, hunters and fishermen on expeditions along the Hudson Bay."
The way I understand it Hudson Bay Company outposts and stores serviced a huge expanse of territory (named Rupert's Land, from 1670-1870) and would have sold trade axes to anyone that wanted them. Yer recreational hunters and fishermen would have had a tough time making their way up to James Bay/Hudson Bay in the era before float planes!
 
300Six said:
From the store display board from which you quote (see post #93) I got a bigger kick out of this statement: "The Hudson Bay camping axe was originally designed for trappers, hunters and fishermen on expeditions along the Hudson Bay."
Hudson Bay Company outposts and stores serviced a huge expanse of territory (named Rupert's Land, from 1670-1870) and would have sold their trade* axes to anyone that wanted them. Yer recreational hunters and fishermen would have had a tough time making their way up to James Bay/Hudson Bay in the era before float planes!
Click to expand...
trade*: most of what went on in the north before 1930 was the exchange of locally trapped furs for staples such as flour, blankets, fish hooks, cookware, axes. Actual cash wasn't in the equation.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top