George Frederick Simonds was Abel Simonds' seventh son, born in 1843. He grew up spending a lot of time in and around his father's scythe shop in West Fitchburg. At the age of 18, George spent a year serving in the Union Army during the Civil War but was discharged when he became quite ill.
Back home in Fitchburg, while recovering, George started to experiment with materials and processes in an effort to improve the products made in his father's shop. When Abel Simonds retired in 1864, George took over the business with his brother Alvan. George earned his first patent in 1868 for harvester irons. He would earn many more during his lifetime!
In May of 1874, George Simonds was awarded two patents that would be instrumental in the company's success - for a new method of tempering and straightening circular saw blades as well as a new design for a tempering oven. Other patents for the manufacture of circular saws followed over the next few years. In 1882 came the patents that truly established Simonds as a leader in sawing innovation - the process and equipment for crescent grinding cross-cut saws.
But it was in 1885 that George Simonds left his indelible stamp on the company, when he developed and patented the "two-circle" insertable tooth for circular saws. This patent established the bit and shank business that is still very important to Simonds today, utilizing designs that are not much changed from those laid out in the patents of 1885.
During the early and mid-1880's, George experimented with ball bearings and metal-rolling. His leading edge work in this area led him to leave the family business in November, 1886, and establish his own concern - The Simonds Rolling Machine Company. Beginning in 1885 and until his death in 1896, George was awarded 74 patents for his work with ball bearings and rolling metals into forms and shapes.
Over his lifetime, George Simonds earned over 100 patents. If Daniel Simonds was the business visionary who helped guide a small New England Company into a global manufacturer, it was George's inquisitive nature from which were borne the innovations which allowed Simonds to grow and prosper.