Year 1931 Makes Century During Which
Maydole Hammer Has Been Made in City
By Edward S. Moore
Norwich Sun, December 24, 1930
An interesting historical sequence gives a touch of romance to the reorganization of the David Maydole Hammer company at this particular time.
It was in 1831 that the late David Maydole, working over the anvil in his blacksmith shop in the village of Norwich, pounded out the first adz eye hammer ever made. The reorganization of the company and the incorporation of the David Maydole Tool Corporation, effective on January 1, 1931, marks the passing of the Maydole family from the active management of the business, after the lapse of just a century. During all of that one hundred years adz eye hammers have been manufactured continuously in Norwich [Chenango Co., NY], except as work has been interrupted for short intervals by the ups and down of business.
It is interesting also to note that while David Maydole made the first adz eye hammer ever forged, the David Maydole forged adz eye hammer, after the passing of a century, is still the only forged adz eye hammer on the market and still retains, exclusively, that characteristic which has made it, in the minds of skilled mechanics, the most popular hammer available. It is still the only hammer concerning which the manufacturers can confidently claim that it "will not fly off the handle."
It was the boast of David Maydole, while he was still pounding out hammers on his blacksmith's anvil, that every hammer he made was the best he knew how to make. That has been the continuous boast of the company. Many changes have been introduced; many improvements have been made in the mixing of ores and the refinement and tempering of metals; but each change has been adopted only after infinite care had determined that the proposed change was necessary to maintain the boast of the company that every hammer it made was the best it knew how to make. Changes now making by the new management are looking to the same end and the old boast of the inventor will continue to be the aim of the new company.
The saying that if a man make a better mousetrap than anyone else, though he live in the wilderness, the people will beat a path to his door, has been true in the case of David Maydole and his hammer. Without the urge of national advertising or an extensive sales organization, the David Maydole hammer became known throughout the United States and known for its quality wherever it was known at all.
In 1884, when the late James Parton began the publication of his famous series "Captains of Industry, or Men of Business Who did Something Besides Make Money," he chose David Maydole as the subject of his first chapter.
The sotry which James Parton wrote nearly a half century ago is still one of the recognized romances of industry in the United States. "Captains of Industry" have come and gone but when faithfulness to an ideal and a determination that the finished product shall always be the best possible product, is discussed, speakers or the writers still hark back to Parton's story of David Maydole.
The story was written after a visit which Dr. Parton made to Norwich to fill a lecture engagement. David Maydole was in his audience. Dr. Parton heard something of his story and visited him in his office the next day. Portions of Parton's story are well worth recalling at this time, when … corporation, pledged to carry on the ideals of David Maydole is in the making and when the success of the new corporation depends in no small measure upon the response which the people of Norwich make to the appeal for a small portion of the capitalization.
"Upon being instructed to this old gentleman in his office, and learning that his business was to make hammers," wrote Dr. Parton, "I was at a loss for a subject of conversation, as it never occurred to me that there was anything to be said about hammers." then the story continues.
"I have generally possessed a hammer, ad frequently inflicted damage on my fingers therewith, but I had supposed that a hammer was simply a hammer, and that hammers were very much alike. At last I said, "And here you make hammers for mankind, Mr. Maydole?"
"Yes," said he, "I have made hammers here for a life-time."
"Well then," said I, shouting in his best ear, "by this time you ought to be able to make a pretty good hammer."
"No, I can't." was his reply, "I can't make a pretty good hammer. I make the best hammer that's made."
That was strong language. I thought at first, he meant it as a joke but I soon found it was no joke at all.
"He had made hammers the lady of his lifetime, and after many years of thoughtful and laborious experiment, he had actually produce an article to which with all his knowledge and experience he could suggest no improvement.
"I was astonished to discover how many points there are about an instrument which I had always supposed a very simple thing. I was surprised to learn in how many ways a hammer can be bad. But first, let me tell you how he came to think of hammers.
"There he was, in 1840, in Norwich, a small village in the central part of the state of New York; no railroad yet, and even the Erie canal many miles distant. He was the village blacksmith, his establishment ocnsisting of himself and a boy to blow the bellows.
"He was a good deal troubled with his hammers. Sometimes the heads would fly off. If the metal was too soft, the hammer would spread out and wear away; if it was too hard, it would split. At that time blacksmiths made their own hammers, and he knew very little about mixing ores so as to produce the toughest iron. But he was particularly troubled with the hammer getting of the handle, a mishap which could be dangerous as well as inconvenient. At last, he hit upon an improvement which led to his being able to put a hammer upon a handle in such a way that it would stay there. He made what is called an adz-handled hammer, the head being attached to the handle after the manner of an adz. The improvement consists in merely making a longer hole for the handle to go into, by which device it has a much firmer hold of the head, and can easily be made extremely tight. With this improvement, if the handle is well seasoned and well wedged, there is no danger of the head flying off. He made some other changes, all of them merely for his own convenience, without a thought of going into the manufacture of hammers.
"The neighborhood in which he lived would have scarcely required half a dozen new hammers per annum. But one day there came to the village six carpenters to work upon a new church, and one of these men, having left his hammer at home, came to David Maydole's blacksmith shop to get one made. "Make me as good a hammer," said the caprenter, "as you know how."
"That was touching David upon a tender place. As good a one as I know how?" said he, "But perhaps you don't want to pay for as good a one as I know how to make."
"Yes, I do." replied the man, "I want a good hammer."
"The blacksmith made him one of the best. It was probably the best hammer that had ever been made in the world, since it contained two or three important improvements never before combined in the instrument. The carpenter was delighted with it and showed it, with a great deal of exultation, to his five companions; every man of whom came the next day to the shop and wanted one just like it. They did not understand all the blacksmith's notions about tempering and mixing the metals, but they saw at a glance that the head and the handle were so united that there never was likely to be any divorce between them.
"To a carpenter building a wooden house, the mere removal of that one defect was a boon beyond price. He could hammer away with confidence, and without fear of seeing the head of his hammer leap into the next field unless stopped by a comrade's head.
"When all the six carpenters had been supplied with these improved hammers, the contractor came and ordered two more. He seemed to think and, in fact, said as much, that the blacksmith ought to make his hammers a little better than those he had made for the men. "I can't make any better ones," said honest David, "When I make a thing I make it as well as I can, no matter who it's for."
"Soon after, the storekeeper of the village, seeing what excellent hammers these were, gave the blacksmith a magnificent order for two dozen, which, in due tiem, were placed upon his counter for sale. At this time something happened to David Maydole which may fairly be called good luck and you will generally notice events of the kind int he lives of meritorious men "Fortune favors the brave," is an old saying, and good luck in business is very apt to befall the man who could do very well without it.
"It so happened that a New York dealer in tools, name Wood, whose store is still kept in Chatham street, New York, happened to be in the village getting orders for tools. As soon as his eye fell upon those hammers, he saw their merits, and bought them all. He did more. He left a standing order for as many hammers of that kind as David Maydole could make. That was the beginning. The young blacksmith hired a man or two then more men, and made more hammers, and kept on making hammers during the whole of his active life. During the first twenty years he was frequently experimenting with a view to improve the hammer. He discovered just how to make his hammers hard enough, without being too hard. He gradually found out precisely the best form of every part. There is not a turn or curve about either the handle or the head which has not been patiently considered, and reconsidered, and considered again, until no further improvement seemed possible.
"The old gentleman concluded his interesting narration by making me a present of one of his hammers, which I now cherish among my treasures. If it had been a picture, I should have it framed and hung up over my desk, a perpetual admonition to me to do my work well; not too fast; not too much of it; not with any showy false polish; not letting anything go till I had done all I could to make it was it should be."
The people of Norwich may well take pride in the fact that this first romance of industry ever written concerned an industry established and carried on in this city. It may well be that apart from other and important considerations, this very commendable pride will make it a real pleasure as well as a civic duty for citizens to participate to the best of their financial ability in providing needed capital for the perpetuation of that industry in this city.
The story was written after a visit which Dr. Parton made to Norwich to fill a lecture engagement. David Maydole was in his audience. Dr. Parton heard something of his story and visited him in his office the next day. Portions of Parton's story are well worth recalling at this time, when … corporation, pledged to carry on the ideals of David Maydole is in the making and when the success of the new corporation depends in no small measure upon the response which the people of Norwich make to the appeal for a small portion of the capitalization.
"Upon being instructed to this old gentleman in his office, and learning that his business was to make hammers," wrote Dr. Parton, "I was at a loss for a subject of conversation, as it never occurred to me that there was anything to be said about hammers." then the story continues.
"I have generally possessed a hammer, ad frequently inflicted damage on my fingers therewith, but I had supposed that a hammer was simply a hammer, and that hammers were very much alike. At last I said, "And here you make hammers for mankind, Mr. Maydole?"
"Yes," said he, "I have made hammers here for a life-time."
"Well then," said I, shouting in his best ear, "by this time you ought to be able to make a pretty good hammer."
"No, I can't." was his reply, "I can't make a pretty good hammer. I make the best hammer that's made."
That was strong language. I thought at first, he meant it as a joke but I soon found it was no joke at all.
"He had made hammers the lady of his lifetime, and after many years of thoughtful and laborious experiment, he had actually produce an article to which with all his knowledge and experience he could suggest no improvement.
"I was astonished to discover how many points there are about an instrument which I had always supposed a very simple thing. I was surprised to learn in how many ways a hammer can be bad. But first, let me tell you how he came to think of hammers.
"There he was, in 1840, in Norwich, a small village in the central part of the state of New York; no railroad yet, and even the Erie canal many miles distant. He was the village blacksmith, his establishment ocnsisting of himself and a boy to blow the bellows.
"He was a good deal troubled with his hammers. Sometimes the heads would fly off. If the metal was too soft, the hammer would spread out and wear away; if it was too hard, it would split. At that time blacksmiths made their own hammers, and he knew very little about mixing ores so as to produce the toughest iron. But he was particularly troubled with the hammer getting of the handle, a mishap which could be dangerous as well as inconvenient. At last, he hit upon an improvement which led to his being able to put a hammer upon a handle in such a way that it would stay there. He made what is called an adz-handled hammer, the head being attached to the handle after the manner of an adz. The improvement consists in merely making a longer hole for the handle to go into, by which device it has a much firmer hold of the head, and can easily be made extremely tight. With this improvement, if the handle is well seasoned and well wedged, there is no danger of the head flying off. He made some other changes, all of them merely for his own convenience, without a thought of going into the manufacture of hammers.
"The neighborhood in which he lived would have scarcely required half a dozen new hammers per annum. But one day there came to the village six carpenters to work upon a new church, and one of these men, having left his hammer at home, came to David Maydole's blacksmith shop to get one made. "Make me as good a hammer," said the caprenter, "as you know how."
"That was touching David upon a tender place. As good a one as I know how?" said he, "But perhaps you don't want to pay for as good a one as I know how to make."
"Yes, I do." replied the man, "I want a good hammer."
"The blacksmith made him one of the best. It was probably the best hammer that had ever been made in the world, since it contained two or three important improvements never before combined in the instrument. The carpenter was delighted with it and showed it, with a great deal of exultation, to his five companions; every man of whom came the next day to the shop and wanted one just like it. They did not understand all the blacksmith's notions about tempering and mixing the metals, but they saw at a glance that the head and the handle were so united that there never was likely to be any divorce between them.
"To a carpenter building a wooden house, the mere removal of that one defect was a boon beyond price. He could hammer away with confidence, and without fear of seeing the head of his hammer leap into the next field unless stopped by a comrade's head.
"When all the six carpenters had been supplied with these improved hammers, the contractor came and ordered two more. He seemed to think and, in fact, said as much, that the blacksmith ought to make his hammers a little better than those he had made for the men. "I can't make any better ones," said honest David, "When I make a thing I make it as well as I can, no matter who it's for."
"Soon after, the storekeeper of the village, seeing what excellent hammers these were, gave the blacksmith a magnificent order for two dozen, which, in due tiem, were placed upon his counter for sale. At this time something happened to David Maydole which may fairly be called good luck and you will generally notice events of the kind int he lives of meritorious men "Fortune favors the brave," is an old saying, and good luck in business is very apt to befall the man who could do very well without it.
"It so happened that a New York dealer in tools, name Wood, whose store is still kept in Chatham street, New York, happened to be in the village getting orders for tools. As soon as his eye fell upon those hammers, he saw their merits, and bought them all. He did more. He left a standing order for as many hammers of that kind as David Maydole could make. That was the beginning. The young blacksmith hired a man or two then more men, and made more hammers, and kept on making hammers during the whole of his active life. During the first twenty years he was frequently experimenting with a view to improve the hammer. He discovered just how to make his hammers hard enough, without being too hard. He gradually found out precisely the best form of every part. There is not a turn or curve about either the handle or the head which has not been patiently considered, and reconsidered, and considered again, until no further improvement seemed possible.
"The old gentleman concluded his interesting narration by making me a present of one of his hammers, which I now cherish among my treasures. If it had been a picture, I should have it framed and hung up over my desk, a perpetual admonition to me to do my work well; not too fast; not too much of it; not with any showy false polish; not letting anything go till I had done all I could to make it was it should be."
The people of Norwich may well take pride in the fact that this first romance of industry ever written concerned an industry established and carried on in this city. It may well be that apart from other and important considerations, this very commendable pride will make it a real pleasure as well as a civic duty for citizens to participate to the best of their financial ability in providing needed capital for the perpetuation of that industry in this city.
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