I've been wrenching my own cars and motorcycles since I was a teenager...got my first set of Craftsman tools, as a gift from my girlfriend, when I was 17. I've always liked Craftsman for their quality, their iron-clad warranty, and the fact that they are made in America.

Over the last five decades, I have spent thousands of dollars on Craftsman tools, and with the exception of a few Snap-On items, almost everything in my garage carries that legendary Craftsman name.

I recently bought a new motorcycle, which uses male Torx fasteners, something I have not encountered before. So I went online to the Craftsman site, and ordered the appropriate socket set. When it arrived, I was stunned to see that my new Craftsman sockets are made in China!

Dang...is nothing sacred anymore?

Has been for a while

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2

Craftsman crapped out awhile ago. I recently returned an older broken socket wrench and extension I had laying around and the stuff they gave me as replacements are garbage compared to what I gave them. I was tempted to keep my busted stuff.

__________________
SWHF #448

Yeah well...

Wait'll they foreclose on our debt.

We will be China!

I was gonna say the same thing.

I've never understood that debt thing. They send their **** over here and we pay cash for it. How is there debt?

__________________
James L. "Jim" Rhiner

I kept my circa 1970 3/8 inch ratchet for that very reason. The ratchet was "slipping" every now and then. When I saw the junk they wanted to give me I figured I had nothing to lose by trying to fix mine. I sprayed the mechanism really well, both side and all "slits" with Carb cleaner, blew it out with compressed air in all the same slits (recommend goggles!), and you should have seen the **** on the towel I held it in

Some WD40 and this baby's good to go for another 40 years!

Jim, they use a lot of the cash they get for "stuff" to buy US Treasury bonds. If China (or any foreign country) sells more than they buy, their currency can go up in value. This makes it harder to sell goods in the USA. Buying US debt offsets the currency changes (for a while). The risk is inflation, they get paid back with cheap inflated dollars.

__________________
Luke 22:36

* RETRACTED*

The points could get me benched.

Kershaw and Buck still make knives in the USA. You have to look for them in smaller shops or knife specialty retailers online. Expect to pay about 40 percent more for the USA versions. To keep their products in the mass merchandisers many companies have both cheaper Chinese and more expensive USA lines.

I have about a dozen Kershaw knives of which three are Made in China. I hate to admit, those knives are holding up as well as the USA, though I still try to find Made in The USA versions when I'm looking for new ones!

__________________
Virtue,Liberty & Independence

The only thing that is sacred is corporate profits....

Vice Grips are made in China as well. You cannot beat cheap labor.

James

Actually, the Federal Reserve owns quite a bit more of our debt than China. They're buying more every day, at the rate of $85 billion a month, and they're doing it with fiat paper currency. Can we say "hyperinflation," children?

Back in the 1790s, Thomas Jefferson warned that a national bank would pose a greater threat to our sovereignty than a standing army. We should have listened. Now it's too late.

Don't know about Kershaw, etc., but a lot of Buck knives were being made by Camillus before they went under. I bought a Camillus knife identical in every respect to the Buck 307 stockman except for having green Delrin scales and no Buck shield.

Camillus, like Schrade, was at least partly a victim of overseas competition, and they made knives for quite a number of other companies. The U.S. knife business must have really felt it when they went belly up--until the American companies negotiated further with the Chinese.

By no means all China-made stuff is garbage, but it's very iffy.

A hopeful note is that some U.S. companies reportedly are responding to rising labor costs in China, and the "buy American" groundswell in this country, by starting to move production back here. Let's hope that trend continues.

__________________
Oh well, what the hell.

really sad, too bad

__________________
Cheers, Charles
SWCA #2442

Smith and Wesson knives and Colt knives are all made in China. I have a couple of Kissing Crane knives, the older one is made in Germany and the newer one is made in China.

A lot of auto parts are made in China. Some of the quality is spotty.

__________________
Luke 22:36

I had the same experience at Acadmey a couple of years ago but I did manage to find a Buck Quickfire still made in the U.S. They had a few other Bucks made here but everything else (except Victornox) was made in China.

As to the OP, I still have most of my older Craftsman tools or at least the ones my son didn't lose when he was a teenager. My wife worked at the Sears warehouse back in the 1970's and they were getting a few tools in from China even back then.

CW

__________________
μολὼν λαβέ

When Irwin Tool bought Peterson, the original make of Vise Grips, they immediately closed shop in the US and moved production to China. The quality is nowhere the same.

I have Peterson Vise-Grips which have withstood abuses so ridiculously severe they should have exploded into shards of metal. I'm still using them. The single Irwin/China set I bought broke at the jaw the first time I used them.

Respected US brands that are now made overseas- Emglo air compressors went from PA to the Czech Republic. Campbell-Housefeld from Cleveland OH to China. Cannondale Bicycles, Bedford, PA to China. Now we are being mandated to switch from USA made incandescent light bulbs to the more efficient compact fluorescent bulbs, not necessarily a bad thing except ALL compact fluorescent bulbs are made offshore!

Nothing in a store gets me hotter than an American Flag with a MADE IN CHINA tag on it.

__________________
Virtue,Liberty & Independence

Americans are funny people,most will buy cheap and gripe about the quality and then buy cheap again.

Only the lower priced Kershaw's are made in china, the Leek and other more expensive are made in the US, (or were when I got mine).

__________________
H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I'll start by saying I don't disagree with most of the things in this thread. My father was a tool and die guy for his entire life. As most "my age" we were raised to look for quality and value and to work our butts off.

That said, we do need to be cognizant that Made is the USA no longer means the best of quality and value. Our standards have slipped and our costs have been forced up by forces we can't discuss in this forum.

My caution is to be careful to compare apples to apples. Remembering the great stuff we USED to produce at great price points is a little unfair as we could no longer produce the same.

Again, I'd love to have the choices we used to have but I've seen some junk with the good old union label attached!

Please don't hate me

When I was a kid working on my mini bikes and go carts, I didn't have a lot of extra money to buy decent tools. I would go to the San Jose flea market and way in the back were guys selling old junk auto, bike parts and tools. I would look for broken, bent or otherwise trashed Craftsman hand tools and buy them for just a few pennies on the dollar. Then I'd get my dad to drive me to Sears (too far to walk or pedal) and get brand new ones in exchange because Craftsman had lifetime warranty. I thought I was so smart! I've still got those tools... would not part with them for anything!

I did find quite a few Buck folding knives in the local Academy Store a few months ago but there Buck from China too. I bought one of the USA models even though I didn't need one.

I needed a part for my Craftsman Disk/belt sander bought used years ago
I looked at the manual 7 serial number made in USA, 1968 I have used it a lot, but not as much as the previous owner who did commercial woodworking. It is in great shape.

You can still find the "good stuff" at pawn shops.

Look for Matco and Snap-On.

I've bought broken Snap-On's at pawn shops and returned them. (I also buy a lot of Snap-On so plz don't give me a hard time about buying broken and returning...)

I haven't done this in a few years, as my toolbox is well stocked, so YMMV.

Also, if you want a pocket knife made in USA, like I was looking for a single-bladed small folder for my son's first knife, you can find these in pawn stores and antique shops. They may need a good cleaning and sharpening, but they are the real deal.

[QUOTE=dcxplant;137463574

Also, if you want a pocket knife made in USA, like I was looking for a single-bladed small folder for my son's first knife, you can find these in pawn stores and antique shops. They may need a good cleaning and sharpening, but they are the real deal.[/QUOTE]

You can still get the single blade Buck 503. Known as the Prince. USA made and in my pocket every day.

When it comes to our economy,

Don't throw away those "We Are Number One" signs.

It is pretty easy to change them to "We Are Number One Hundred and Thirty Ninth"

I have some "old' Craftsman tools if you drop it on the garage floor, they ring like a bell, the new Craftsman just goes "thunk"..rimes with junk..

I quit when I see Smith and Wesson Forum Made in China.

__________________
I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

Take a look at SK tools, Made in USA, I've been using them since I was a kid and that's a long time.

__________________
Back to back World War Champs.

i also like craftsman tool....they always work....at least the old ones

__________________
SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

Not to bash a beloved brand that I have a lot of also,

..but, one thing about the Craftsman wrenches is they are markedly thicker than Snap-On's. It may not matter to some, but when I was an aircraft mechanic it mattered a lot.

Thinner wrenches made the difference between unbolting a hot section or not.

Cars and motorcycles nowadays have tight tolerances too, it's nice to have strong, thin wrenches.

I have been a mechanic all my life so the majority of my tools are Snap On. I also bought Mac, and some Matco. When I started riding dirt bikes in the late 60's and thru the 70's I had to buy metric sets for the dirt bikes and I bought all Sears and bought various and sundry Sears hand sets and sockets and etc. At that time all of Sears was made in the USA and I have always thought highly of them for less expensive wrenches. Sears started selling the Made in China tools several years ago and like a lot of guys have said they are not the same quality. It is hard to try to find Made in the USA on anything we look for. Irritates the heck out of me.

As far as pocket knives are concerned, Case, Great Eastern Cutlery, Northfield, Tidioute, Queen, and 1 line of Moore Maker are some of the ones still made in the USA. They will cost more but are worth the difference in quality. Some of the Chinese made knives are pretty good also depending on the brand. Most of their metal in the knives are not as good in my opinion. Benchmade knives are also made in the USA.

__________________
James
On the Llano Estacado

Trade with the PRC is a bit more complicated, they are a HUGE purchaser of grains and related products. They are a LONG way from being self sufficient in food.
I have become a big thrift shop/rummage/garage/estate sale hound-that's where I get my tools these days.
Corporate profits? If companies don't make a profit they go out of business. I try to purchase only US
made items, it's to We The People to keep US companies in business.

I have had older ratchets repaired with rebuild kits by personnel at Sears stores in the past. Get same old frame with new parts. The one I bought back in 1962 has been repaired.

I noticed that many of sears tools were china the last couple times I was in there but they said sears and not craftsman, they had a cheaper line without the craftsman name on them.

Buck still has a few knives left that are china but has moved most of their manufacturing back to the USA.

It's weird. The Tanto knife I sell uses German steel but it's made in Taiwan. So it's actually cheaper to buy the ingredients, ship it to China, assemble it there and ship it back to the US.

I understand that the population in China also needs work to feed their families. But I think that the "made in China" trend is cursed to bite us in our behind... sooner than later!

__________________
Jorge

Certain financial institutions believe that Sears will be non-existent in five years. I loved my Craftsman tools. Mike #283

__________________
Mike Maher #283

All of my Craftsman combo wrenches have been beaten to hail. All of them were Made in USA and still work well.

My Snap on combos are like a Les Paul. I don't beat on them but still use the heck out of them.

Most of my mechanic tools are Snap-on. USA. Stacked box also Snap-on.

Too bad that I can't replace the old Craftsman for the same quality USA stuff.

__________________
Dum vivo cano

And didn't this all start just after WWll with Japan and their exports. Been down hill for American manufactures ever since. They will keep moving manufacturing around the world as long as they can find cheaper labor.

__________________
Psalm 23:4

What's more representative of a dead iconic American brand, Craftsman Tools made in China or Winchester Lever Action Cowboy rifles made in Japan?

__________________
I'm with the banned ...

The Chinese are quite capable of making top notch stuff. But... if you want to maximize profit buy selling a cheap piece of "stuff" made for the cheapest cost possible, you know where you go.

Snap-On.....Nuff' said.

I don't want to stray too far, but the Chinese are not the largest holder of U.S. public debt. It shakes out as follows:

• U.S. Social Security Trust Fund - About $3 trillion
• U.S. Federal Reserve - About $2 trillion
• China - About $1.2 trillion

Total foreign-held U.S. debt is about 46% of the total $17 trillion-plus U.S. total.

The Chinese are the largest single holder, but the Japanese are right behind at $912 billion. Great Britain holds over $300 billion.

I managed to bend one of my large, Chinese-made Craftsman C-clamps. I took it back to Sears because we all know that Craftsman hand tools are guaranteed for life. The sales clerk told me that a C-clamp was not a hand tool. I won't print here what I told him next, but he did go and get me a new C-clamp, no charge.

__________________
'Merica!

Not much of a selection but here is a store where everything is made in the U.S.A.: The Made in America Online Store

Even Harley Davidson has parts made in China now. Tis sad indeed.

In 1968 -1970, I bought all my Craftsman tools from the Sears store that was downtown !! There was not a mall. I acquired sets of sockets, and wrenches that were on the weekly sale special. 3/8" drive sockets were 45¢ each, 1/2" drive sockets were 55¢ each, the combination wrench set from 1/4" to 1-1/8" inches was $14.95. All this was big money when you made $3.25 per hour.

In 1977, I bought 3 Craftsman metal files that were made in India. I wore two of them out in 1 week at work filing off burrs on saw cut ends of hot rolled steel barstock. I took the file set back to Sears and asked for a refund, then went to K-Mart and bought a set of Nicholson American made files.

The slide in tool quality has been going on for a long time. This is a sad time for America.

__________________
S&WHF 366

A hundred years from now, everything may say "Made In The USA"

__________________
Doesn't hasta call me Johnson

Not all Craftsman tools are made in China. There is a factory in Colorado Springs (Western Forge) that makes Craftsman Screw Drivers and Box End Wrenches.

When I worked as a machinist I made a point of buying Craftsman, Browne and Sharp and Starett only. I haven’t worked in a machine shop in ten years and I bet my tools are worth three times what I paid for them .

Sad but true. Lowe's did the same thing with their Kobalt brand a few years back. All the shiny new Kobalt tools are made off shore. The up side was when they were clearing out the Made in USA stuff, I bought as much as I could afford. Did the same thing when Sears was getting rid of their USA made Craftsman stock. The down side is, if something breaks from either store, the replacement will be Chinese.