I have a ton of current Blackhawk sockets and ratchets, screwdrivers, punches and chisels, and pliers. Numerous times on here I have seen Blackhawk written off as another glorious American hand tool icon that has been offshored and applied to generic imported tools of average quality.
However, all of my Blackhawk tools, purchased new during the past six months, are clearly marked "Made in USA" on the tools themselves and on the packaging. No "global components" are mentioned. The round head ratchets are identical in design to a Challenger ratchet that I bought in the late '90s as a kid. All the Blackhawk tools I have seen at five different Grainger stores here in Washington and one Grainger store in Oakland, California are also marked "Made in USA." All the Blackhawk tools I have seen on Grainger's website are identified with the country of origin "USA." I have seen dozens of Blackhawk tools on eBay, and they are all "Made in USA," determined either from the descriptions or from the photos.
The only Blackhawk tools I have ever seen that were imported are the ratcheting wrenches (which look pretty nice, btw), the indexable ratchet, and the "Rotator" ratchet.
So, my question is, are the American-made tools being phased out, or is there a major misconception floating around? I'd hate for the die-hard "USA" tool purchasers to write off another American tool brand when in fact Stanley Proto is still producing a unique, high-quality product alongside the expensive Proto line. The sockets I have are nothing like any other current Proto or Stanley sockets - the design appears to be completely unique to Blackhawk. The quality is first-class, with a uniform finish on all the tools and good chrome plating. I would liken these current Blackhawk tools to recent, pre-bankruptcy S-K in terms of the target market and the durability, but with better consistency. The screwdrivers are some of my favorite acetate-handled screwdrivers - they are very comfortable.
I will post some pictures this weekend when I have a chance.
However, all of my Blackhawk tools, purchased new during the past six months, are clearly marked "Made in USA" on the tools themselves and on the packaging. No "global components" are mentioned. The round head ratchets are identical in design to a Challenger ratchet that I bought in the late '90s as a kid. All the Blackhawk tools I have seen at five different Grainger stores here in Washington and one Grainger store in Oakland, California are also marked "Made in USA." All the Blackhawk tools I have seen on Grainger's website are identified with the country of origin "USA." I have seen dozens of Blackhawk tools on eBay, and they are all "Made in USA," determined either from the descriptions or from the photos.
The only Blackhawk tools I have ever seen that were imported are the ratcheting wrenches (which look pretty nice, btw), the indexable ratchet, and the "Rotator" ratchet.
So, my question is, are the American-made tools being phased out, or is there a major misconception floating around? I'd hate for the die-hard "USA" tool purchasers to write off another American tool brand when in fact Stanley Proto is still producing a unique, high-quality product alongside the expensive Proto line. The sockets I have are nothing like any other current Proto or Stanley sockets - the design appears to be completely unique to Blackhawk. The quality is first-class, with a uniform finish on all the tools and good chrome plating. I would liken these current Blackhawk tools to recent, pre-bankruptcy S-K in terms of the target market and the durability, but with better consistency. The screwdrivers are some of my favorite acetate-handled screwdrivers - they are very comfortable.
I will post some pictures this weekend when I have a chance.
