yoothgeye
I build stuff.
Anytime I get a bike and it has Hunt Wilde grips on it I'm excited that I have at least one "name brand" part that I recognize, but I mean what's the deal, were they the only player in the game? They are on EVERYTHING!
Hunt Wilde... what's the story?
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They were used by many manufacturers, and they were generally what was immediately available in the shop if you need a replacement grip.
They went out of business a few years ago, but the tooling lives on with a different company.
They went out of business a few years ago, but the tooling lives on with a different company.
Probably every U.S. manufacturer got grips from them. Even Columbia's ergonomic grips with the "columbia" brand on them I think were actually made by Hunt Wilde (I mean from the 60s/70s, not the older 1940s "Columbia" grips). I think Schwinn made their own grips, or at least some of their own grips. I don't think I've seen a Hunt Wilde equivalent to the Schwinn cushion grips (with the little air space in them) for instance.
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I've got a few Hunt Wilde grips that I got off a wheel chair I found in my neighbor's trash.
yoothgeye
I build stuff.
outskirtscustoms said:
I've checked the wheelchairs at church, Hunt Wilde. My "new" exercise bike I found by the curb has Hunt Wilde grips, 6 of them! 2 for grips and 4 for feet. I've also seen them on old lawn mowers.
I found that the grooves on old grips with finger notches run lengthwise front to back and that NOS Hunt Wilde the grooves run side to side. What's with that ?
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KJV said:
Yeah they sure had an empire. It's amazing how something so simple could potentially make you millions.
yoothgeye
I build stuff.
From their website:
"As the first manufacturer of elastomeric Vinyl plastic grips in the United States, (U.S. Patent 2,666,340), Hunt-Wilde Corporation was not only the world’s leading handlegrip manufacturer, but also one of the foremost experts on injection molding Vinyl. Since 1946, we supplied a large cross section of industry with innovative solutions and designs to meet their products needs. Large or small, custom designed or standard parts, each customer received superior service, American made quality, dependable production and timely delivery."
http://www.huntwilde.com/
They list who bought each operation and the status there.
"As the first manufacturer of elastomeric Vinyl plastic grips in the United States, (U.S. Patent 2,666,340), Hunt-Wilde Corporation was not only the world’s leading handlegrip manufacturer, but also one of the foremost experts on injection molding Vinyl. Since 1946, we supplied a large cross section of industry with innovative solutions and designs to meet their products needs. Large or small, custom designed or standard parts, each customer received superior service, American made quality, dependable production and timely delivery."
http://www.huntwilde.com/
They list who bought each operation and the status there.
Re: Hunt Wilde... what's the story? Here's the story
I'll answer the posts in the order they were posted.
Yes, we were pretty much the only player in the game. There were other grip manufacturers of course but we were the originals. We had a reputation for treating all of our customers as equitably as possible; the small business that bought a few hundred grips was treated as fairly as the big guys who bought millions a year. We started selling grips as replacements for the rubber grips that were then (1949) being used by the bike manufacturers. These grips did not stay on the handlebars very well and one of our advantages was the fact that they did. This was the basis for the patent.
We sold all the domestic bike manufacturers. Almost all of the grips on domestically built bikes, back when there was such a thing, had Hunt-Wilde Grips on them. We made custom grips for all the well known names, as well as the less well known, so even though they don't necessarily say Hunt-Wilde on them they probably were ours. Almost all of the handlebar tape on drop bars in the '60s and 70's was ours as well.
Yes, we did make the Schwinn grips. Schwinn was actually the first bike manufacturer that we made grips for. I think that was somewhere around late 1951. We did indeed make the Schwinn cushion grip for them.
Yep, we sold to all the wheelchair manufacturers too. The "industrial" grip business eventually far surpassed the bike grip business, wheelchairs, lawn mowers, hand tools, fishnets, mop bucket wringers, pretty much anything that had a handle on it, we made grips for.
In the early 2000's more and more of the OEM's we were selling to were moving production off shore, (free trade!) some of the first to go were the bike manufacturers. They were constantly being beat up by the likes of Walmart to make bikes cheaper and cheaper. The big box stores used them as loss leaders to get people in the doors, Christmas was the big season. Since our customers were bringing completed items in from overseas,obviously they already had grips on them. Our customer base was drying up.
So, actually it was foreign competition to some degree that caused us to consider the sale of the molded grip business. The time was simply right to sell that piece of the business and move on to other things.
The company that bought the grip business wasn't interested in the bike grip molds, so those for the most part are in storage. We have made a few Schwinn grips that we are talking to Bicycle Bones (http://www.bicyclebones.com) or http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=bicycle+bones&_sacat=0 about purchasing from us. We are also considering having some of our crossed flag mudflaps made if there seems to be enough interest.
I'll answer the posts in the order they were posted.
Yes, we were pretty much the only player in the game. There were other grip manufacturers of course but we were the originals. We had a reputation for treating all of our customers as equitably as possible; the small business that bought a few hundred grips was treated as fairly as the big guys who bought millions a year. We started selling grips as replacements for the rubber grips that were then (1949) being used by the bike manufacturers. These grips did not stay on the handlebars very well and one of our advantages was the fact that they did. This was the basis for the patent.
We sold all the domestic bike manufacturers. Almost all of the grips on domestically built bikes, back when there was such a thing, had Hunt-Wilde Grips on them. We made custom grips for all the well known names, as well as the less well known, so even though they don't necessarily say Hunt-Wilde on them they probably were ours. Almost all of the handlebar tape on drop bars in the '60s and 70's was ours as well.
Yes, we did make the Schwinn grips. Schwinn was actually the first bike manufacturer that we made grips for. I think that was somewhere around late 1951. We did indeed make the Schwinn cushion grip for them.
Yep, we sold to all the wheelchair manufacturers too. The "industrial" grip business eventually far surpassed the bike grip business, wheelchairs, lawn mowers, hand tools, fishnets, mop bucket wringers, pretty much anything that had a handle on it, we made grips for.
In the early 2000's more and more of the OEM's we were selling to were moving production off shore, (free trade!) some of the first to go were the bike manufacturers. They were constantly being beat up by the likes of Walmart to make bikes cheaper and cheaper. The big box stores used them as loss leaders to get people in the doors, Christmas was the big season. Since our customers were bringing completed items in from overseas,obviously they already had grips on them. Our customer base was drying up.
So, actually it was foreign competition to some degree that caused us to consider the sale of the molded grip business. The time was simply right to sell that piece of the business and move on to other things.
The company that bought the grip business wasn't interested in the bike grip molds, so those for the most part are in storage. We have made a few Schwinn grips that we are talking to Bicycle Bones (http://www.bicyclebones.com) or http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=bicycle+bones&_sacat=0 about purchasing from us. We are also considering having some of our crossed flag mudflaps made if there seems to be enough interest.
Hunt Wilde! Love that company.. I hear the whole purple grips tape and tool bag is the rarest. I only have the purple grips and tape though! :?
CCR said:
I've been looking for one! I've seen a NOS one go for a 100+ on ebay a while ago
Hunt-Wilde!! wow man!! thanks for chiming in and giving us the history!! that was great!! :mrgreen:
