The Sears Craftsman Tool Co.
Craftsman is a line of tools, lawn and garden equipment, and work wear. Originally a house brand established by Sears, the brand is now owned by Stanley Black & Decker.
As with all Sears products, Craftsman tools were not manufactured by Sears during that company’s ownership, but made under contract by various other companies. They were first sold in 1927 through the Sears catalog and in Sears retail stores. After the Sears–Kmart merger, the tools were also for sale in Kmart stores and through several other retailers.
In March 2017, Stanley Black & Decker acquired the Craftsman brand from Sears Holdings, which retained a limited license for Craftsman products.[1]
Origin of the Craftsman name
In 1927, Sears hired Arthur Barrows to head the company’s hardware department. Barrows knew hardware and wanted to create a brand name for Sears that distinguished it from other manufacturers. Barrows liked the name Craftsman used by the Marion-Craftsman Tool Company and reportedly offered Marion-Craftsman $500 for the rights to use the Craftsman name on Sears products.
Sears Archive
History of Craftsman Tools
The Craftsman tool line was first produced in 1927 when Sears decided to create a superior brand of tools. The first tools under the Craftsman brand to appear in Sears retail stores and the catalog was a line of saws. In order to receive the Craftsman brand, the tools would have to meet the most rigorous set of standards.
Farm Tools to Mechanics Tools
The biggest users of Craftsman tools were farmers at the beginning. As the automobile came of age, Sears began creating more tools to be used by mechanics. Tom Dunlap succeeded Arthur Burrows and upgraded the quality of Craftsman tools. He understood the pride that mechanics and others took in their tools and how the kept them clean and in good condition. To improve the look of Craftsman tools, he added chrome plating to improve the finish, color, and trim on wrenches and sockets. He also added high-impact plastic handles ton screwdrivers. Dunlap’s former boss, Arthur Burrows, didn’t think the chrome plating was necessary but Dunlap’s persistence paid off when sales of the chrome plated tools increased six times in the next year.
The Sears tool line used the good, better, best pricing structure in its marketing. Withe the Craftsman brand as the middle tier and Craftsman Professional or Craftsman Industrial as the highest tier.
The lowest tier was originally branded “Sears”. “Dunlap” was another name used for it’s lesser quality tools from the late 1930s until the late 1950s. The Sears tool line was discontinued in the late 1980s and replaced by the “Companion” tool line. The Companion lines was also discontinued in 2008.
Sears has never manufactured Craftsman products itself, instead relying on other manufacturers to make the products for them following Sears designs and specifications, and then applying the Craftsman brand name. Sometimes, the Craftsman branded items include exclusive features or functions that separate them from the manufacturer’s own brand or other brands that the manufacturer produces. At other times, Craftsman products are identical to models of other brands with a different name on them.
For woodworking planes, Sargent & Company, Millers Falls, and Stanley made planes for Craftsman. Sargent produced planes for Craftsman up until 1933. Millers Falls began making Craftsman planes in 1934 and Stanley began in 1969.
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