Craftsman (tools)
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| Product type | Hand tools, power tools, lawn and garden equipment, work wear |
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| Owner | Stanley Black & Decker |
| Country | USA |
| Introduced | May 20, 1927 |
| Related brands | Evolv, Craftsman Professional, Craftsman Industrial, Companion, Dunlap |
| Website | Craftsman.com |
Craftsman is a line of tools, lawn and garden equipment, and work wear controlled by Stanley Black & Decker.
Craftsman tools were first sold in 1927. They are not made by Sears, but by various other companies under contract. The tools are sold in Sears and sister store Kmart, as well as US military Army and Air Force Exchange Service stores, Summit Racing Equipment, Blain's Farm & Fleet, Menards, W. W. Grainger, Ace Hardware, Montgomery Ward and Orchard Supply Hardware.
In 2007, Craftsman was named "America's Most Trusted Brand" and brand with "Highest Expectations". In 2009, the readers of Popular Mechanics named Craftsman their favorite brand of hand tools in their Reader's Choice Awards. Craftsman is the official tool brand of NASCAR and the DIY Network.
In March 2017, Stanley Black & Decker acquired the Craftsman brand from Sears Holdings.
The Craftsman trademark was registered by Sears on May 20, 1927. Arthur Barrows, head of the company's hardware department, liked the name Craftsman and reportedly bought the rights to use it from the Marion-Craftsman Tool Company for $500. The brand's early customers were mostly farmers. Barrows' successor, Tom Dunlap, upgraded the quality of the tools and added chrome plating to them as America moved into the automobile age.
Sears' tool line, like many of its other product lines, uses a "good, better, best" pricing structure, with the Craftsman brand as the middle tier and Craftsman Professional or Craftsman Industrial as the highest tier. Craftsman Professional and Craftsman Industrial are marketed as being comparable to brands like SK, Snap on, Proto, Mac, and Matco. The standard Craftsman line is marketed as being comparable in quality to other mid-price brands including UltraPro (NAPA), Westward, Gray, Husky, and Kobalt. Sears also had its "Sears Best" line of hand tools for a time. The ratchets were known for having the finest teeth and shortest swing angle in the business.
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