American-made hand tools still worth buying, brand by brand
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Most of the names on a hardware store wall no longer belong to the company that forged the tool. Four do, and they still run their own plants in the United States: Channellock in Meadville, Klein in Chicago, Estwing in Rockford, Wright Tool in Barberton. This page lists what each of them still makes, what it costs, and which of the old tools already in your box are worth keeping instead of replacing.
Channellock — Meadville, Pennsylvania, since 1886
Fifth-generation family ownership, forging its own carbon steel. Limited lifetime warranty.
- Channellock 420, 9.5-inch straight jaw — The one in the episode. About $30, and it outlives the person who buys it. See it on Amazon →
- Channellock 426, 1.5-inch jaw capacity Check the current listing →
- Channellock 430, 10-inch Look it up on Amazon →
- Channellock 442 V-jaw, 12-inch See what it costs today →
- Channellock GS-3 set (6.5, 9.5, 12 inch) — The three sizes that cover a house. Find it on Amazon →
- Channellock 480 BIGAZZ, 20-inch — For the things that do not move. See it on Amazon →
Klein Tools — Chicago, since 1857
Still run by the Klein family, seven US factories. Limited lifetime warranty.
- Klein D213-9NE lineman's pliers, 9-inch — The pair on every electrician's belt. See it on Amazon →
- Klein J213-9NE Journeyman, made in USA — Same pliers, the Journeyman grip. Check the current listing →
- Klein 80020 three-plier set, made in USA — Lineman's, diagonal cutters and needle-nose. Look it up on Amazon →
Estwing — Rockford, Illinois, since 1923
Head and handle forged from one piece of steel. Warranted against failure in normal use.
- Estwing E3-16C, 16 oz curved claw — One piece of steel, leather-free shock grip. See it on Amazon →
- Estwing E3-16S, 16 oz straight rip claw Check the current listing →
- Estwing 20 oz framing hammer Look it up on Amazon →
- Estwing E16C, 16 oz with the leather grip — The stacked-leather handle, if you want the original. See what it costs today →
Wright Tool — Barberton, Ohio, since 1927
Owned since 2007 by its own managers, not a conglomerate or a fund. Still drop-forged in Ohio.
- Wright Tool 915, 15-piece SAE combination set — Drop-forged in Barberton. Three times a big-box set and the last one you buy. See it on Amazon →
- Wright Tool 705, 7-piece WrightGrip 2.0 set — The smaller set, same steel. Check the current listing →
- Wright Tool 3490, 3/8-inch drive ratchet Look it up on Amazon →
- Wright Tool 745 service wrench set, 3/4 to 1-1/4 inch See what it costs today →
And the Craftsman you already own
The old American-forged Craftsman is still under a lifetime warranty honored at Lowe's. Fill the gaps from the secondhand market instead of replacing the set.
- Keep your old Craftsman (-V- and WF marks) — American-forged, lifetime warranty still honored at Lowe's.
Read the stamp on old Craftsman
| Mark on the steel | Built by |
|---|---|
| -V- | Moore Drop Forging / Danaher, USA (wrenches, sockets) |
| WF | Western Forge, Colorado Springs (screwdrivers, pliers) |
| China / Taiwan | Apex and later suppliers, 2010s onward |
The ownership map: who is behind the name
| Brands on the wall | Built by |
|---|---|
| Craftsman · DeWalt · Stanley · Irwin · Porter-Cable | Stanley Black & Decker, New Britain, Connecticut |
| Milwaukee · Ryobi* · Ridgid* | Techtronic Industries, Hong Kong (*licensed names) |
| GearWrench · Crescent | Apex Tool Group (handed to lenders, Oct 2025) |
| Husky · Kobalt | Home Depot · Lowe's store brands, contract makers |
| Pittsburgh · Icon · Hercules | Harbor Freight labels, contract suppliers in Taiwan and China |
The episodes behind this page
- The death of Craftsman: how a $900M deal ended a lifetime guarantee September 14, 2026
- Tool brands: who owns the wall, and the four still worth buying September 17, 2026
Prefer to listen? The books on Sears, Whirlpool and American manufacturing we read while researching these episodes are on Audible. Free 30-day trial: Audible Premium Plus.
If a product here has been discontinued or the description is wrong, tell us in the comments under the episode and we fix the page.