Which stamp came first? "Norlund" or "Genuine Norlund"?

[GrungeBlud]

I cannot find out for certain which was first. I always read that the "earlier ones" were better than the "newer ones". Wouldn't "Genuine Norlund" be the later years? I've seen people brag about their Norlund being an early one with both stamps. lol

 

[Steve Tall]

It seems strange, and it's a bit of a mystery, but perhaps the Genuine Norlund stamps came first, judging from this ad, supposedly from 1966, which refers to "genuine Norlund". According to YesteryearsTools, Norlund production began in 1968, so they were already advertising "genuine Norlund" before they even began producing them?

Field and Stream
- Volume 71 - Page 240
https://books.google.com/books?id=bVPlAAAAMAAJ
1966 - ‎Snippet view
This genuine NORLUND HUDSON BAY AXE has 2Vi lb. head (guaranteed for life), forged from finest steel — is razor sharp. Pole weatherproofed hickory handle (24") for perfect balance.

 

[GrungeBlud]

It seems strange, and it's a bit of a mystery, but perhaps the Genuine Norlund stamps came first, judging from this ad, supposedly from 1966, which refers to "genuine Norlund". According to YesteryearsTools, Norlund production began in 1968, so they were already advertising "genuine Norlund" before they even began producing them?

Field and Stream
- Volume 71 - Page 240
https://books.google.com/books?id=bVPlAAAAMAAJ
1966 - ‎Snippet view
This genuine NORLUND HUDSON BAY AXE has 2Vi lb. head (guaranteed for life), forged from finest steel — is razor sharp. Pole weatherproofed hickory handle (24") for perfect balance.

It's strange how the year of advertisement and the year they started production differ from each other. Amazing find there! It's even more strange they would start with "Genuine Norlund" and end (assuming its the last stamp they used) with "Norlund". Very interesting and a big thanks! I figured they added the prefix "genuine" after imitations started to float around or something. I remember reading here on bladeforums on a similar thread that another member thought that would be the case as well. I just love the fact they are from before my time. Dave Canterbury (love him) is the only reason I've heard of these axes. Why are they so special? Is there even a reason besides its age? I've seen older things than any Norlund axe and valued much lower. I've read its only nostalgia making these axes worth anything.

 

[Steve Tall]

I'm thinking that YesteryearsTools is probably mistaken about 1968, because here's another ad for a Norlund axe, supposedly from 1965:

Hardware Age - Volume 195, Issues 1-6 - Page 117
https://books.google.com/books?id=ossTAQAAMAAJ
1965 - ‎Snippet view
Camper's axe, safety sheath The Norlund Hudson Bay camper's axe is forged from fine steel and guaranteed for life. It comes...

There's no mention of "genuine" in the 1965 ad, so perhaps the earliest ones weren't stamped Genuine, it was added later (in some unknown year), and then the "Genuine" was dropped (in another unknown year) for the most recent ones? Who knows?

Regarding the premium price that vintage Norlund axes seem to now have, I think it must be something about the brand recognition and perceived backwoods "mystique", plus perhaps some nostalgia of those who heard of them while growing up.

 

[Steve Tall]

Some details from another thread show that the Norlund company existed back around 1910, and Norlund was listed as a division of Mann Edge Tool in 1962. So it's understandable why Mann might want to stamp "Genuine" on the Norlund axes, since the brand was already known.

------------

Some of the YesteryearsTools information on Norlund is incomplete. For example, Norlund (not Norland), of Williamsport PA, was evidently selling gaffs, fish spears, and "creepers" back around 1910:

from The Outdoorsman's Handbook (formerly The Angler's Guide), Volume 1910
edited by Wainwright Randall, Reuben Johnson Held, Edward Baldwin Rice, Warren Hastings Miller

Olof A. Norlund (not Norland), of Williamsport PA, was awarded a patent for a similar gaff in 1901.

A trademark for Norlund's was registered in Canada in 1950, with indication that it was first used in Canada in 1914, and first used in the USA in 1910. The name of the applicant was:
O.A. NORLUND COMPANY INC,
1718 East Third Street
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
and the holder of the registration was:
MANN EDGE TOOL COMPANY,
Lewistown, Pa.
(from WIPO Global Brand Database)


Interesting photos (from an old auction listing) of a gaff marked
O.A. NORLUND CO.
DIV. MANN EDGE TOOL CO.

A "Hardware Age" listing, reportedly from 1962, shows that O.A. Norlund Co. was a Division of Mann Edge Tool.

 

[Steve Tall]

The Canadian trademark information shows that Mann Edge Tool applied for the Norlund's trademark in 1950, and that the trademark was first used in the USA in 1910, and in Canada in 1914 (but axes and hatchets are not listed there in the related goods and services).

http://www.wipo.int/branddb/en/showData.jsp?ID=CATM.208518-00

 

[Square_peg]

Yeah, the old Norlund company was abandoned and the old name was picked up for nothing.

 

[j_d]

Interesting thread. Any info on one with a canoe/paddler?

 

[VintageToolCo]

It seems strange, and it's a bit of a mystery, but perhaps the Genuine Norlund stamps came first, judging from this ad, supposedly from 1966, which refers to "genuine Norlund". According to YesteryearsTools, Norlund production began in 1968, so they were already advertising "genuine Norlund" before they even began producing them?

Field and Stream
- Volume 71 - Page 240
https://books.google.com/books?id=bVPlAAAAMAAJ
1966 - ‎Snippet view
This genuine NORLUND HUDSON BAY AXE has 2Vi lb. head (guaranteed for life), forged from finest steel — is razor sharp. Pole weatherproofed hickory handle (24") for perfect balance.

It seems strange, and it's a bit of a mystery, but perhaps the Genuine Norlund stamps came first, judging from this ad, supposedly from 1966, which refers to "genuine Norlund". According to YesteryearsTools, Norlund production began in 1968, so they were already advertising "genuine Norlund" before they even began producing them?

Field and Stream
- Volume 71 - Page 240
https://books.google.com/books?id=bVPlAAAAMAAJ
1966 - ‎Snippet view
This genuine NORLUND HUDSON BAY AXE has 2Vi lb. head (guaranteed for life), forged from finest steel — is razor sharp. Pole weatherproofed hickory handle (24") for perfect balance.

Make sure you take Yesteryears Tools info with a grain of salt. Lots of good info but also a lot of misinformation there.

 

[ithinkverydeeply]

I've seen people brag about their Norlund being an early one with both stamps. lol

The “both stamps” is likely referring to Norlund or Genuine Norlund stamped on one side and the name of the model like Voyageur, Tomahawk, or Saddle Cruiser stamped on the other side.

 

[junkenstien]

Would a collins hb be the same as a norlund after mann bought them?

 

[VintageToolCo]

Would a collins hb be the same as a norlund after mann bought them?

No, the Collins plant was used for a number of years after Mann bought it. So essentially the Collins axe didn't change at all after the purchase until the original Collins plant was shut down.

 

[ithinkverydeeply]

Here are two NOS Voyageurs. The older one is on the left and has two embossings, “both stamps”, Voyageur and Genuine Norlund.
The newer one on the right only has one stamp, Norlund.

The older one has Voyageur on the front the newer one just says Norlund

The older one says Genuine Norlund on the back. The newer one does not have “both stamps”.

Nothing on the back of the later one.

 

[GrungeBlud]

Here are two NOS Voyageurs. The older one is on the left and has two embossings, “both stamps”, Voyageur and Genuine Norlund.
The newer one on the right only has one stamp, Norlund.

The older one has Voyageur on the front the newer one just says Norlund

The older one says Genuine Norlund on the back. The newer one does not have “both stamps”.

Nothing on the back of the later one.

When I said "both stamps" I meant this: I have seen people say "I have a Norlund with ONLY the words 'Norlund' stamped, it's the first stamp, these are the oldest ones!" and I've also seen people brag and say the same exact thing about the ones that say "Genuine Norlund". I'm still confused which came first. I gave up lol

 

[VintageToolCo]

I cannot find out for certain which was first. I always read that the "earlier ones" were better than the "newer ones". Wouldn't "Genuine Norlund" be the later years? I've seen people brag about their Norlund being an early one with both stamps. lol

It was most likely Norlund. The original Norlund company never used "Genuine" on anything.

 

[Anthony Va.]

I've never found a definite answer to this question either. I see guys on ebay lately talking about "norlund" with double lines on the N being the earliest. I think that's false lol. Most all norlund markings I've seen have that type of N.
I believe that just "norlund" is probably the latest. Genuine norlund probably before that. And the ones with voyageur and camper etc probably the earliest. But who really knows lol. I wish someone had the answer.
It even could be that they started with just norlund, then went to genuine, then back to just norlund. It bugs me that I don't know

 

[ithinkverydeeply]

They were just talking about this on the podcast a couple episodes ago and they also said that the Genuine Norlund stamped ones were older than the ones that just say Norlund.

 

[ithinkverydeeply]

Aaaahh. So they have a “Norlund” episode quite a while back where they said it was unknown. But Mike was saying he was emailing with someone about them and I think it was since then that he said genuine Norlund came first...
I don’t know if I’m going to listen to them all again but to look at them the Genuine ones are ground so much better just like late model El Lobos the late model Norlunds have crappy grinds.
By the late 70’s and 80’s they did not spend much time in the finish room.

 

[ithinkverydeeply]

Ok. So I spoke with Chris Killinger who is widely regarded as the definitive source of all things Norlund and all around good guy. He may have to most complete collection of Norlunds in existence including several patterns they never advertised.
He has the boxed camping set like the true-Temper set but Norlund with a Norlund shovel and saw, he’s got the Frontiersman, Native American looking crude tomahawk, the crazy only one known of splitting maul, and the latest model and packaging Norlund I have ever seen in the plastic clam shell. His collection goes deep!

Splitting Maul

The Norlund Frontiersman with original sheath and the Norlund machete.
The machete is crazy rare!

So here is the deal, Chris agrees with me that the ones marked Genuine Norlund are the older ones and they dropped the Genuine on the later ones, in the 70’ and 80’s.

Here is his most definitive proof of that.
This is the very last rendition of the Voyageur and it’s packaging, newer than the blister pack on cardboard packaging you see.
This is from the 1980’s, it was manufactured when they were owned by E.Z. Sales in Gardenia, California.
As you can see the “genuine” is long gone.

Funny how it says to put it back in the plastic for storage. LoL

Even though their old fishing gear did not say “genuine” I speculate that they added it when they first started their sporting line of axes from the onset, for all the people that weren’t aware Norlund had started making axes, so that when someone picked it up saying “what Norlund doesn’t make axes...” they would see that yes indeed it was a “Genuine Norlund.” -my own speculation there.

Everyone should Check out Chris Killinger on Instagram or his YouTube channel. He sells crazy cool handles, some of the sickest leather products, and the meanest greenest axes you’ve ever seen.

 

[Anthony Va.]

Ok. So I spoke with Chris Killinger who is widely regarded as the definitive source of all things Norlund and all around good guy. He may have to most complete collection of Norlunds in existence including several patterns they never advertised.
He has the boxed camping set like the true-Temper set but Norlund with a Norlund shovel and saw, he’s got the Frontiersman, Native American looking crude tomahawk, the crazy only one known of splitting maul, and the latest model and packaging Norlund I have ever seen in the plastic clam shell. His collection goes deep!

Splitting Maul

The Norlund Frontiersman with original sheath and the Norlund machete.
The machete is crazy rare!

So here is the deal, Chris agrees with me that the ones marked Genuine Norlund are the older ones and they dropped the Genuine on the later ones, in the 70’ and 80’s.

Here is his most definitive proof of that.
This is the very last rendition of the Voyageur and it’s packaging, newer than the blister pack on cardboard packaging you see.
This is from the 1980’s, it was manufactured when they were owned by E.Z. Sales in Gardenia, California.
As you can see the “genuine” is long gone.

Funny how it says to put it back in the plastic for storage. LoL

Even though their old fishing gear did not say “genuine” I speculate that they added it when they first started their sporting line of axes from the onset, for all the people that weren’t aware Norlund had started making axes, so that when someone picked it up saying “what Norlund doesn’t make axes...” they would see that yes indeed it was a “Genuine Norlund.” -my own speculation there.

Everyone should Check out Chris Killinger on Instagram or his YouTube channel. He sells crazy cool handles, some of the sickest leather products, and the meanest greenest axes you’ve ever seen.

That's pretty interesting. And a really nice collection!
So everything I've seen does lead me to believe they started with genuine norlund and the type stamped on the other side. Later dropping the type, and even later dropping the genuine.
Maybe all that extra stamping costs too much money lol