We get some questions about the handle grain. There has been some concern about the grain not being vertical. The owner of Snow and Nealley explained the issue to us:
Snow and Nealley do their best to ensure that the handles are
1. Straight grain (without runout)
2. Vertical grain (grain oriented the same as the head)
…in that order. So while not all handles have vertical grain, virtually all handles avoid significant runout, which is a more serious issue.
Since customers have been asking about this, the company has worked harder towards these goals. They are also planning to move handle production in-house to be better able to maintain consistency. We don’t have a date for when they will begin this production.
As it is, however, Snow and Nealley feels confident about the strength and quality of their handles.  All handles are of premium southern hickory, and that they carry a one-year warranty against breakage in normal use.