Norlund - Hudson Bay Vintage Axe Shirt

Olof August Norlund was born in Sweden in 1856.  In 1882 he and his wife Theresa M. Norlund immigrated to the United States and came to achieve the American dream.  They bought a house and settled 7 miles outside of Lewistown, PA in Brown Township. 
 
Olof had a mind for inventive engineering and eventually started to manufacture hardware related products with some trusted friends and business partners, under the name; "O. A. Norlund".  In late 1896, Olof filed for his first patent on an invention, a fruit gatherer.  Patent No. 590,935 was awarded on September 28th, 1897 and business was good.
 
In 1910, "The Norlund Manufacturing Company" was incorporated in Delaware, USA by Olof August Norland, Frank C. Bowman and George A. Gamble.  The company operated under various names such as; "Norlund's", "Norlund Novelty Company", "Norlund O A Co Hardware Mfrs", and "O. A. Norlund".
 
In 1925, ballistics expert Phillip Rounseville contacted Olof Norlund for help designing a new modular arrow with detachable arrowhead that could function as both a practice, and a hunting arrow.  On October 26, 1926, Phillip's hiring of Olof paid off with the last and 15th patent that would be awarded to O. A. Norlund before his death in 1931.  With the invention of the "Yeoman No. 1", Norlund was now the exclusive manufacturer and supplier of detachable arrowheads for Philip Rounseville's "The Archers Company" of Pinehurst, NC.
 
On August 24th, 1950, the Mann Edge Tool Company registered the expired Norlund trademark and the O. A. Norlund Co. was reborn as a wholly owned subsidiary of Mann Edge Tool Co.  Mann began making axes, hatchets and other outdoor camping and fishing equipment bearing the name O. A. NORLUND in the early 1950's after the trademark was granted. 
 
The scandinavian designs were inspired by the fact that Olof August Norlund was originally from Sweden, and John Waddell, President of Mann Edge, wanting to honor Olof's legacy.  Mann Edge also had the "Norlund" logo stamp created from Olof's signature, copied from his patent documentation.  The tools were produced at the world famous Mann Edge Tool Co. forge in Lewistown, Pennsylvania.
 
Mann Edge renewed the Norlund trademark on August 24th, 1965 and continued producing the Norlund line of outdoor sportsman tools until they let the trademark expire in 1980.
 
-----------------------------------------------
 
This shirt celebrates the artwork of Norlund/Mann Edge for their Hudson Bay Canoe logo. You get a high quality, exact reproduction of the actual sticker that was used on Norlund axes. The back of the shirt has the "Norlund" cursive logo which is Olof August Norlund's actual signature.