Enderes Tool Company

woody 73 · Nov 14, 2016

This is story that does not fly under the radar instead it swoops over the top of it, because it does get talked about on the GJ and you can still find their tools at hardware stores.

This was a fun story for me because the first two pictures are indeed a vintage Enderes tool and the last five pictures are modern Enderes from a local tool store. As a matter of fact while taking the pictures this morning of their display case the one member at the store told me their quality had gone down after the purchase by a new company and they had some returns; while the store owner said that was the first he ever heard of any returns so the Jury is still out on that subject.

Enderes Tool Co. was founded in Albert Lea, Minnesota in 1910 resulting in a merger between Albert Lea Machinery Co. founded in 1908 by Mr.Joe Phil and Enderes Manufacturing Co., founded in 1896 by Ernst Enderes of Littleport, Iowa.

They went through some hard times and were sold to a new owner Mr. Steven Overgaard and the Company will now be known as Northbridge Tool LLC.; (Be sure and see the links).

Along the way they had a tool plant burned to the ground in 1966, and a lawsuit brought on by a man repairing his machine, a chip of metal struck his eye.

I will leave you with some very nice links to look over and a few pictures of vintage along with a Modern display case. just another tool to look out for.

http://www.enderes.com/history.htm

http://www.openfos.com/supply/2566563-ENDERES-TOOL-CO-INC-in-Albert-Lea-MN/

http://www.albertleatribune.com/2012/06/enderes-tool-down-not-out/

http://www.mfgpages.com/company/Enderes-Tool-Co-Inc-in-MINNESOTA-USA-5434457/

http://www.albertleatribune.com/2012/10/a-l-man-buys-assets-of-enderes-tool-co/

http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-8th-circuit/1444823.html

http://alloy-artifacts.org/other-makers.html#enderes

http://datamp.org/patents/displayPatent.php?number=796305&typeCode=0

http://datamp.org/patents/displayPatent.php?number=983271&typeCode=0

1982fxr · Nov 15, 2016

So are they back making the full line of tools now?

rlitman · Nov 15, 2016

1982fxr said:
So are they back making the full line of tools now?

They were as of February 2014 when we had Enderes day here.

Richard Cranium · Dec 17, 2016

Maybe we need another Enderes day?

bluebolt · Dec 17, 2016

I bought some of there stuff on Enderes Day and am happy with it.

Thumper68 · Dec 17, 2016

One of our local mom n pop hardware stores carry quite a few of their tools, last year I picked up a few to include in my SS gift box.

There are a few of the tools I have my eye on and as I need them for jobs I will be picking them up.

crguy · Dec 17, 2016

Enderes made small anvils, also.

leg17 · Feb 7, 2021

Here are a couple of Enderes DOE ‘S’ wrenches that were clearly original standard Southington issue. Southington logo is ground off and Enderes is stamped on the head. I don’t know anything about this situation. Was this the quickest way for Enderes to enter the ‘S’ wrench market? They did later have a line of standard type ‘S’ wrenches. Did they get some used tooling somehow?
Did they acquire Southington tooling? Did they simply get Southington wrenches and change the markings? I would be glad to find out more.
(This may get double posted in other threads.)

Private Lugnutz · Feb 7, 2021

One of the more intriguing re-branding cases I have seen, Leg! Not just because of the crudeness of the methodology, but it's not as if either one of them was a major label. This will be fun to research.

Did they keep the model numbers (50x) on the flip side? Or grind that off too?

Private Lugnutz · Feb 7, 2021

Leg,

I discovered that Enderes had a much more complex legal structure in the 1920's than their website history blurb reveals, consisting of five (5) distinct but related business entities: Enderes Inc., Enderes Mfg. Co., Enderes Tool Co., and Harris-Enderes, all located in Albert Lea, Minn., and Enderes Steel Products Co., located in Chicago, Ill.

It looks to me like articles and ads describing Enderes also as "sales agents for other hardware concerns" (see Pic 1) and "distributors for manufacturers of high-grade hardware" (see Pic 2) may have been referring to their own tools, tools from other OEM's they were "distributing" (re-selling?), and tools from other OEM's they were re-branding and re-selling.

Because they also made and sold files, I checked the American Made Files blog site, linked here, for a catalog, and sure enough (love that site, which has always been a good source for many other catalogs), they have a nice 1921 Enderes catalog available as a PDF.

After their main line of tools (i.e., chisels and nippers) are presented, the catalog includes pliers, snips, and other tools I don't normally associate with Enderes, including "S" shaped adjustable crescent-type wrenches made by Bergman in Buffalo, which they made no attempt to disguise (see page 24), and DOE "S" wrenches (see page 21), as you alluded to.

Note that the model numbers of the DOE "S" wrenches in the 1921 Enderes catalog (see Pic 3) are identical to the model numbers of the "S" wrenches made, as you already know, by Southington Manufacturing Company (see Pics 4 & 5) in that same era.

leg17 · Feb 7, 2021

Private Lugnutz said:
.....
Did they keep the model numbers (50x) on the flip side? Or grind that off too?

They kept the numbers.

Private Lugnutz · Feb 7, 2021

Which is what their catalog indicates!

dreamingmuscle · Mar 7, 2021

This the only Enderes tool I own.

bonneyman · Mar 8, 2021

I really like Enderes screwdrivers.

PLANofMAN · Mar 8, 2021

This Enderes screwdriver was the first tool I ever purchased, at the age of 10 or 11. I'm 40 now. It's been used more than any other screwdriver I own, and has held up remarkably well. The bits are superior to just about every other screwdriver I've used. It's starting to show it's age, kinda like me.

MR.X · Jul 24, 2021

1930....by this time they're selling dishes, gas ranges, rugs and the early duro socket sets as well as their own line of chisels etc.

MisterEd · Feb 24, 2022

Sorry. Can't read.

MisterEd · Feb 24, 2022

MisterEd · Feb 24, 2022

MisterEd · Feb 24, 2022

Chrome Vanadium Cody · Jul 3, 2022

Anyone heard anything from Enderes lately? Have been trying to pick up some of their stuff but the places I’ve seen them on sale in the past are low on stock and none of the workers I’ve asked have known why- just that they haven’t received any shipments in a while.

Lesserstore · Jul 3, 2022

Chrome Vanadium Cody said:
Anyone heard anything from Enderes lately? Have been trying to pick up some of their stuff but the places I’ve seen them on sale in the past are low on stock and none of the workers I’ve asked have known why- just that they haven’t received any shipments in a while.

I wondered if they are still in business a while back and I saw on their website it has

2004-2016, so they haven't updated that in 6 years. Then I looked on Google maps street view and it looked like they were all closed up.

Chrome Vanadium Cody · Jul 3, 2022

Bummer, that’s too bad. Wonder what went wrong. Thanks for the heads up

tool_scrounge · Jul 5, 2022

Enderes tools is still around. I just called them. Fyi - they did go out of business 10 years ago and Northern Tool (one of their machinery suppliers) bought the assets. I was told they have brought out new tools and are building a new production line to hopefully soon be making the 4 in 1 and 6 in 1 screwdrivers domestically.

Chrome Vanadium Cody · Jul 5, 2022

That’s great, thank you, will have to call and see if they have any current distributors nearby

d42jeep · Jul 7, 2022

Found this punch in the toolbox today. I don’t have many Enderes tools.
-Don

AreBeeBee · Jul 7, 2022

I have a punch like the one d42jeep showed (above) but with a 5/16 end and it tapers, plus a B-10 farrier's nipper. No photos at the moment, but I'll post them here soon.

Madjik Man · Jul 8, 2022

Still going through the box of tools I grabbed at the flea market. Came across this punch. Can't find anything on the internet that looks like this era.

leg17 · Jul 9, 2022

"wear safety goggles" probably dates it to after the advent of OSHA.

Chrome Vanadium Cody · Jul 18, 2022

Was able to get an enderes 16” rolling head pry bar at a local hardware store today, excited to try, haven’t had a bar this shape before

d42jeep · Nov 4, 2022

I found my first Enderes hacksaw at an Oakland estate sale yesterday. The Starret 10“ blade was trashed so I replaced it with a 12 inch one.
-Don

SKF · Oct 28, 2024

This is my only Enderes tool there seems to be quite a few of these. Does anyone know how old they are?

d42jeep · Oct 28, 2024

I don’t know how to establish dates of Enderes tools but that’s a nice looking anvil.
I found this really rusty 6 in 1 screwdriver at a garage sale yesterday. The pieces spent an overnight in the evaporust. I buffed them out today.

-Don

SKF · Oct 28, 2024

Nice I keep saying I’m going to try EvapoRust
I have one of those screwdrivers in Roberts torques and Philip / flat that I’ve had for over 30 years I remember they used to sit in a cardboard display in just about every hardware store you could walk in to back in the day when things were made in America on a regular basis

AreBeeBee · Oct 28, 2024

SKF said:
Nice I keep saying I’m going to try EvapoRust
I have one of those screwdrivers in Roberts torques and Philip / flat that I’ve had for over 30 years I remember they used to sit in a cardboard display in just about every hardware store you could walk in to back in the day when things were made in America on a regular basis

The ones around here aren't by Enderes, but 6-in-1s are plentiful on the hardware store ground. Also I have rescued several from ReStore shops, and using the principle of mix-and-match have assembled a number that I've put in every conceivable place I'd need/want one.

I've also completed several using replacement tubes and bits from Tekton, who sells parts to these things. For example I made an all-Robertson 6-in-1 with #s 0, 1, 2, and 3 bits in a wood Menard's handle. (Chose the handle for instant recognition.)

d42jeep · Oct 28, 2024

Here is another Enderes tool that has been hanging around the garage. I wouldn’t call it a crowbar.

-Don

four.cycle · Oct 28, 2024

^ you dare not! :lol:

four.cycle · Oct 28, 2024

but it might be part of a saw set.

you just never know.

Steve_O · Nov 30, 2024

Chrome Vanadium Cody said:
Anyone heard anything from Enderes lately? Have been trying to pick up some of their stuff but the places I’ve seen them on sale in the past are low on stock and none of the workers I’ve asked have known why- just that they haven’t received any shipments in a while.

If they haven't received anything from us, it's because they haven't placed an order. Orders go out of here typically in a day or two. Our tools are not in any of the major hardware warehouses which means that an order has to be placed either by one of our sales reps or by someone at the store. Unfortunately, most of our sales reps are older and there are very few new reps. It has become much easier for the stores to just order whatever brand is in the warehouse. If there is something that you are looking for but can't find, just give us a call. We have everything in the catalog plus some newer stuff that is not in the catalog
Steven Overgaard
Owner

Steve_O · Nov 30, 2024

Lesserstore said:
I wondered if they are still in business a while back and I saw on their website it has 2004-2016, so they haven't updated that in 6 years. Then I looked on Google maps street view and it looked like they were all closed up.

No, we are still around. Things have been busy around here trying to avoid the fate of the former owners. Haven't had time to do anything with the website yet. The catalog is old, but the tools haven't really changed. Someone brought the google listing to my attention a while ago. I had never paid any attention to it. Don't know how it got updated that we were closed. We moved from their old facility into a newer 80,000 sq ft former foundry building and have been here since 2015
Steve

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