Looks like Estwing is moving at least some production to Taiwan

[lipadj46]

I ordered an estwing pry bar and when it came in the mail I noticed it was made in Taiwan. Kind of a let down as Harry Epstein had it marked USA. They did change the webpage to made in Taiwan after I emailed them though. Still a nice pry bar, a shame though.

http://store.harryepstein.com/cp/PryBars/PB-18.html

 

[sk farmer]

as much as i would like them to be made here they never have been. those have been available for several if not many years and have always been made in taiwan if not other places. that said i believe they are just rebabges from a reputable mfg. from that area. for some reason alot of that type of smaller carpentry bars seem to come from that neck of the woods.

 

[lipadj46]

Interesting I assumed they were USA at one time.

 

[arkangel06]

That *****

 

[Mickey O]

Looks like I'll have to find a new hammer company to buy my hammers from.

I ordered an estwing pry bar and when it came in the mail I noticed it was made in Taiwan. Kind of a let down as Harry Epstein had it marked USA. They did change the webpage to made in Taiwan after I emailed them though. Still a nice pry bar, a shame though.

http://store.harryepstein.com/cp/PryBars/PB-18.html

I'd be asking for a refund, how does a tool seller mess up on the COO, unacceptable. Ask, maybe they have some USA made ones laying around.

 

[knappmenterprises]

that is just dam sad to hear, I've been swinging eastwing hammers forever, only one's I ever reach for and keep on my framing blet rig. guess I better not loose them. I thought my favorite one was stolen from a jobsite a few years ago, lost tons of tools, and with the piddly insurance money I got, figured I'd buy a couple of other brand hammers as replacement. nothing quite felt right, just about gave up and go buy another eastwing and found mine down in the basement, guess the thieves used it break the backdoor.

 

[lipadj46]

Last I saw the hammers are still made in the USA.

 

[old salvage]

......I thought my favorite one was stolen from a jobsite a few years ago, lost tons of tools, and with the piddly insurance money I got, figured I'd buy a couple of other brand hammers as replacement. nothing quite felt right, just about gave up and go buy another eastwing and found mine down in the basement, guess the thieves used it break the backdoor.

Bastards. Glad you at least got your main hammer back though.

 

[BB26]

Home Depot sells some Estwing pry bars that are made in Japan. Maybe they changed suppliers.

 

[scooby074]

Home Depot sells some Estwing pry bars that are made in Japan. Maybe they changed suppliers.

Their "siding" pry bars (wide flat face with cats paw nail puller) have always been from Japan AFAIK. I have one, and like it alot

Their mainline of hammers are still USA, however they have a secondary line called "Sure Strike" thats chinese. No difference to the other chinese ones out there.

Pick up a sure strike and a genuine eastwing and the differences are easy to see.

I think eastwing still has the sense to keep their main line of hammers (and axes) sourced from the USA

 

[35mastr]

I have been using Estwing hammers since I was old enough to swing one. They are the best Framining hammers I have ever used.

 

[CAT_serviceman927]

You can get USA made prybars from Vaughan. I know the Superbar is made in USA for sure. Not sure about the others, but I am sure a simple email to them would give you an answer.

http://hammernet.com/vaughan/index.php

 

[sk farmer]

Looks like I'll have to find a new hammer company to buy my hammers from.



I'd be asking for a refund, how does a tool seller mess up on the COO, unacceptable. Ask, maybe they have some USA made ones laying around.

not picking on you mickey but why would you have to find a new hammer company. those bars never were us made. i like us made bars myself but this may be a case were they wanted something differant than what everyone else had. they actualy loopk better than a lot of us bars from what i have seen of them. they are not some cheaply made **** even though they are imported.

 

[lipadj46]

Don't get me wrong it is a nice tool and I already have a normal USA prybar and wanted something different. Harry Epstein just had them marked as USA so that is what I was expecting.

 

[superautobacs]

This 15" "handy bar" has been made in Taiwan for some time as well, but I've used it thousands of times, pulling ardox nails and pounding the "cup" relentlessly with a Made in USA Estwing hatchet:

I wouldn't hesitate to pick up that pry bar--it's such a nice peice. .....that I predict it'll be in my toolbox someday soon.

EDIT: AFAIK, like others have said, their hammers are still made in the US.

 

[thetreshon]

as much as i would like them to be made here they never have been. those have been available for several if not many years and have always been made in taiwan if not other places. that said i believe they are just rebabges from a reputable mfg. from that area. for some reason alot of that type of smaller carpentry bars seem to come from that neck of the woods.

Well, I won't tell you which location, but I keep seeing remnant U.S. MADE Estwing Prybars in the clearance area at the Canadian version of Home Depot, RONA. They've been there for several months, I don't actually need one, but once the price drops from $18 to maybe $10...I'm grabbing one!

But DEFINITELY U.S. made, I check the label everytime I walk by it to make sure...

 

[zer0cell]

Honestly, if a few Taiwanese prybars are enough to make you want to change hammer brands you might want to think again. Every major hammer manufacturer that I know of has at least a few import tools. I suppose they do this to try to increase profit margins while still keeping their 'premium' line made here in the USA. To be honest, while it is a little disappointing I can live with that. For example... estwing may have its prybars made overseas, but vaughan has some made overseas too. Then again, vaughan also has this little beauty which is excellent and can be had for like $11 or $12 shipped and is made in the USA too!

As long as it is clearly marked on the tool where it is made and their flagship products are still made here in the USA that's okay with me. If that's what they need to do to remain competitive and be more profitable but still supply us with some great American tools...


For what it's worth, even the vaughan and estwing import prybars do seem to be of good quality, but if you're like me you want to buy only USA ones if you can. If Vaughans USA line of prybars is not enough for you, do a search for 'Dasco Pro' on amazon. The prices of their tools is pretty low overall and they have a pretty nice selection of prybars and other tools all made in the USA. I have a few that have taken quite a beating from hard usage


Regardless of country of origin... I favor vaughan prybars and pullers over estwing. Just so happens at least some of Vaughans prybars are still made here... with estwing, I don't think any of theirs are. I really like Vaughans Bear Claw tools, although I think they are made in japan these days. Anyway they seem to be of great quality. Strangely enough they share a striking resemblance to shark corp's version (i think based in japan). Perhaps they are the OEM for those vaughan tools and maybe some of estwing's too...

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

Well, I won't tell you which location, but I keep seeing remnant U.S. MADE Estwing Prybars in the clearance area at the Canadian version of Home Depot, RONA. They've been there for several months, I don't actually need one, but once the price drops from $18 to maybe $10...I'm grabbing one!

But DEFINITELY U.S. made, I check the label everytime I walk by it to make sure...

Pics or your makin' it up.

 

[d33pt]

you can get a craftsman prybar exactly like that. made in USA. about the same price too.

 

[thetreshon]

Pics or your makin' it up.

Not sure if this link here will work, but I just googled 'estwing wrecking', and the pictures come up, funny how practically every picture is from a New Zealand based website...but true - ain't makin' it up. Saw them their the other day.

 

[nw2571]

I'm pretty sure that I saw a Taiwan Estwing BP hammer in our local Rural King the other day. I'll snap a picture if I remember the next time I'm in there. I was shocked.

 

[catfish]

I'm pretty sure that I saw a Taiwan Estwing BP hammer in our local Rural King the other day. I'll snap a picture if I remember the next time I'm in there. I was shocked.

yeah i saw that on amazon a while back , its probably still on there
was a wood handle

 

[amorrow]

All "Sure Strike" wood handle Estwings I saw at my local Home Depot were made in Taiwan, and all steel handle/blue grip hammers I generally associate with the Estwing name were made in the USA, regardless of type (ball peen, brick layer's, carpenter's, etc).

Here's a shot of my 24oz soft-face Estwing and tack hammer - both made in Taiwan whereas the more traditional blue-handle Estwing is made in the USA.

 

[peelman]

I’m not going to comment on another “made in the usa” tirade, except to say its hilarious what people will spend on tools for a sticker or a stamping. You’re fighting a losing battle. Economics is economics, and we’re a free capitalist society. You don’t have to be happy about it, but can we please cease the pointless bitching about it?

 

[catfish]

we’re a free capitalist society

if you say so...

 

[peelman]

if you say so...

Yeah, that was really half a sentence. It should have said “In theory, we’re a free capitalist society.” Emphasis on the capitalist.

 

[Daddy_Rabbit]

I’m not going to comment on another “made in the usa” tirade, except to say its hilarious what people will spend on tools for a sticker or a stamping. You’re fighting a losing battle. Economics is economics, and we’re a free capitalist society. You don’t have to be happy about it, but can we please cease the pointless bitching about it?

Please refrain from using basic logic in any future "Made in the USA" posts. It confuses the other participants.

Thanks.

 

[peelman]

Lol.

 

[5lima30]

I was looking at a Estwing drilling hammer at Home Depot and it was made in USA. I guess I will have to go back and buy it before they go off-shore. I have always been a big fan of Estwing hammers, in the construction framing field, they are an industry standard. YMMV.

 

[zer0cell]

Estwing has reassured me through an email that they plan on keeping their 'premium' line of hammers made in the U.S.A. Other than that, pretty much everything else is made in Taiwan or possibly Japan. If you want quality, wood handled tools made in the U.S.A. I suggest you stick with Vaughan. I prefer Estwings All Steel hammers over Vaughans although theirs are good too. Vaughan has a great selection of wood handled tools however and some excellent prybars to boot. Their black colored prybars however are made in japan but are excellent quality as far as I can tell. I own one of them.

It's like this... most companies are having at least PART of their tool line-up made overseas. This is unavoidable. However, if you are selective you can still get a great line-up of hand tools made in the U.S.A. they just will not all be from the same company.