Cheney 12oz Riveting Hammer

[lauver]

Gang,

I found a nice Cheney riveting hammer at the dirt market this weekend.  I've been looking for a 16oz model, but for $1, I couldn't pass up this nice 12oz hammer.

I am unfamilier with the Cheney name/brand and have found very little information on the net.  Can anyone provide info on the Cheney Hammer Corp (when in business, where located, range of tools, quality of tools, etc)?

Here's a couple of photos:





Thanks for any info, observations, links, etc...

[scottg]

Cheney was a pretty bad ass company. Mainly known for novel nail holding hammers for starting nails overhead, etc.
   These had a cutout and spring loaded bearings to trap and hold a nail tight, so you could swing the hammer and start it in unlikely locations.

  I would expect you to be happy with this 12oz Gary.  Probably pretty high quality.
 yours Scott

[lauver]

scottg,

Always good to hear from you.  Thanks for the info and observations on Cheney hammers.  I saw a couple of the nail holding hammers on flea bay.

I suspect Cheney may have been a "hammer only" type company that went out of business a long time ago.  They seem to be quite rare in my local area; mine is the first one I have ever seen in the wild.  I also suspect they made good quality hammers based on the one I have. 

[jimwrench]

Henry Cheney Corp. Little Falls New York was evidently started in 1850's and stayed in business for a long time. Google has several articles.

[anglesmith]

Cheney carpenter hammers were very popular out here, they were made in Australia (under licence?)at one time. Ive seen prices here for Cheney nail starters in $60 plus range. There is a early reprinted catalogue about (Midwest....I think)
Graeme

[jimwrench]

 Thanks for the reminder Graeme,MWTCA did reprint an old cat and I have a copy. Heres scan of page with your hammer Lauver. This is 1904 catalog and it lists 1845 as beginning of co.

[lauver]

Jim,

Thanks for posting up that 1904 catalog page.  In looking at your photo, I noticed the Cheney name is stamped on the hammer head at 90 degrees to the axis of the hammer head.  My hammer has the Cheney name stamped in line with the head axis.  Do you know about when this change might have been made?

[lauver]

LG,

Have you got any ads for Cheney Hammer Corp in your collection?  If so, please post some up.

[jimwrench]

 On page 31 of same catalog which gives prices ($6.25 per dozen) shows stamping like yours as opposed to page 16 which shows 90 degrees stamping. Maybe both methods used in this time period.

[rusty]

I suspect Cheney may have been a "hammer only" type company that went out of business a long >time ago

The Cheney name was apparently aquired by Prentiss Vise Co at some point....

1927 adv (popsci)
http://books.google.com/books?id=oicDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA92#v=onepage&q&f=false

[lauver]

jim-- Thanks for the update on the Cheney logo stampings.

rusty-- Thanks for the 1927 ad.  That's an interesting twist that provides an approximate end date for the Cheney Hammer Corp.  The ad shows the new Prentiss Vice Co./Cheney Hammer logo on the hammer head and a reference to Henry Cheney on the handle.

[Branson]

I suspect Cheney may have been a "hammer only" type company that went out of business a long >time ago

The Cheney name was apparently aquired by Prentiss Vise Co at some point....

1927 adv (popsci)
http://books.google.com/books?id=oicDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA92#v=onepage&q&f=false

This is truly odd.  Cheney was an old  company, and its specialty was hammers, best known for the nail capturing feature Cheney got patented in 1871.
But: "In 1925 Elmer Mulford came to Little Falls and operated the Cheney Hammer Co. until 1954, when the firm was sold and
moved away."

I found no mention of Prentiss Vise acquiring Cheney.   The 1954 date looks fairly accurate for one of the Cheney hammers I have.  The other Cheney was made to work with the old cut nails.

[mikeswrenches]

Here's a little more info on the Cheney Co.


"In 1820 the Ellice Estate sold the corner, which the Art Backing Co.
occupies, to William Ingham for a fulling mill, and this was the first
water power lot they sold. Around 1845-50 Henry Cheney came to Little
Falls from Fly Creek and operated a hammer manufacturing shop in the
Ingham Mill. The Inghams must have continued to be financially interested,
for when Mr. Cheney died in 1879, a stock company was formed and Schuyler
Ingham was the president. In 1925 Elmer Mulford came to Little Falls and
operated the Cheney Hammer Co. until 1954, when the firm was sold and
moved away."

There's also this from the May, 1917 Little Falls phone directory.  I'm
not sure if the second entry is related in any way; the hammer-making
Henry was deceased by then.  Maybe it's his son?

"Cheney Hammer Co The Henry, 74 W Mill Lttl Fls 323-J
Cheney Henry, r, 676 E Monroe Lttl Fls 808-M"

No guarantees on the accuracy but it sounds about right.

Mike

[lauver]

Gang,

It's looking like we have conflicting information here.  I'm still hoping that LG has some ad's that could shed some light on how long Cheney Hammer Corp was actively in business.

[rusty]

Engineering World, 1925: (Vol 26 P135)

"Prentiss Vise Co., 106 Lafayette street, New York City, has purchased the Henry Cheney Hammer Corp., Little Falls, N. Y., which it will operate as the Cheney Hammer division of the Prentiss Vise Co. Reed-Prentice Co., Worcester, Mass"


Hmmm.....

Nothing says they didn't sell it back later tho....