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The Scrap Heap Of [tool] History

Figure 3 - Uh-oh...

Imagine being in a tunnel, walking along a railroad track, and suddenly you begin to feel vibrations in the tracks beneath your feet, and a light appears in the distance. A pragmatist would turn and run the other way, knowing instinctively trouble was coming. A more optimistic, but possibly delusional person might say, "That is the light at the end of the tunnel, I will keep going." Of course, the delusional person may soon be flattened like a bug on a windshield, becoming a footnote in history, an epitaph of inconsequence.

I've met a lot of delusional folks in my life. Once I was told by a senior official at Eastman Kodak that "Digital imaging will never be a big thing… people will always want the quality of film." Well, we know what happened there. A company once considered to have the most valuable brand name in the world is now, alas, a shadow of its former self.

Perhaps there were some delusional managers at Sears that said, "People will always come to our stores." But, they didn't. Sears has been closing stores and in the latest news, has sold off its eponymous Craftsman name brand and lineup of tools to Stanley Black and Decker, in a move one pundit likened to the improbable travesty of Apple selling off the "iPhone" trademark and lineup of products. Unthinkable. Another wagging tongue said that the sale of the Craftsman line was the signal that Sears would soon disappear. I don't know about that, but for sure, the tool landscape is changing.

For wrench-turners, the Craftsman name has long been considered synonymous with quality, bolstered by its famous "lifetime warranty." What becomes of them now is anyone's guess, but be assured of this: Companies rarely purchase well-known and valuable brand names with the intention of destroying the brand. It might be helpful here to consider that there are about 25 brands and product lines (at last count) now under Stanley Black & Decker ownership, some very familiar to woodworkers and wrench-turners of all stripes, some not so much.

You probably know, but in case you don't, that Dewalt, Porter Cable, and Bostitch are part of the Stanley Black & Decker family. You may not know that the company also has divisions and brand names in the healthcare arena, security systems, storage and workspace organization, oil and gas production, locks, safes, and commercial powered doors. And in case you are wondering, they did purchase Delta, back in 2005, but in 2011 they sold it to Taiwan-based Chang Type Industrial Co., Ltd. whose stated intention was to manufacture the Delta line-up of equipment in South Carolina. As a side note, I got a complimentary email from a Delta representative recently about my SawStop PCS Product Tour video and the article I wrote about SawStop here in Highland Wood News online . Classy.

One might be concerned that the Craftsman line-up of tools could evolve (devolve?) to become more like Black & Decker. One blog pundit mused that he would leave his Craftsman tools to his grandchildren, but he doubts anyone leaves any Black & Decker tool to their ancestors. Sorry to say it, but if you ask woodworkers for a one-or-two-word description of Black & Decker tools, the answers are overwhelmingly uncomplimentary. Remember, though, this is a conscious "placement" strategy made by the company to reach a specific bolus of customers. SB&D also owns the Mac Tool line-up, and as any NASCAR fan knows, those are serious tools.

On the positive side of the ledger, Stanley Black & Decker has stated that they will increase the available channels of distribution for the Craftsman tool line-up and that they will be expanding their manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and hiring more people. No word yet (that I know of) if they will keep offering the "lifetime warranty" for which Craftsman is known.

My bet is that Craftsman will not wind up as detritus on the scrap heap of history. As for Sears, it is anybody's guess right now. I never thought that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus would close its doors (uh, tent flaps) and I never could have imagined that a well-known brand name like F. W. Woolworths, once the largest U.S. retailer, and a favorite childhood haunt of mine, would disappear completely. And let's not forget Circuit City, who just a few years ago was the second largest electronics retailer. They no longer have one single store open for business.

Will there be more acquisitions and consolidations in the tool industry? Most assuredly, yes. Some brands will benefit by consolidation, some will not. Some will wind up on the scrap heap of history. But there will be more fantastic new start-up companies, too. Remember, SawStop is, by stationary power tool standards, a relatively new company. So is Lie-Nielsen Toolworks . We observed Bad Axe Tool Works get started recently with a tremendous line-up of hand saws. Shenandoah Tool Works and their awesome and artistic line of awls and mallets is just four years young. New companies emerge all the time… and the smart ones find their way to Highland Woodworking seeking a knowledgeable value-add channel of distribution. And as reputable new companies emerge, Highland will continue to test and assess their new tools, sorting through all the chaff to find the wheat… it's what they do. And I trust that Highland Woodworking will always bring us what they deem to be the best.

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Steven Johnson is retired from an almost 30-year career selling medical equipment and supplies, and now enjoys improving his shop, his skills, and his designs on a full time basis (although he says home improvement projects and furniture building have been hobbies for most of his adult life). Steven can be reached directly via email at sjohnson@downtoearthwoodworking.com

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