Craftsman Socket Evolution 1948-2024

[Lesserstore]

Part III ADDED Craftsman Socket Evolution 1948-2024

In this time of great boredom I have written the first part in a series about Craftsman sockets. Part I will cover Moore Drop Forge and Easco, Part II will cover Danaher's takeover of Easco and their U.S. production, Part III will cover Stanley EE series sockets.
I will admit that some of the facts could be wrong and anyone who has a correction is more than welcome to post it in this thread.

Edit: Part IV added covering the 2023-24 Stanley made sockets.

Part I: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_VuUc6i9VyeBjk0p_pqtAoitdJTWJK7Xzat5UiJXAE4/edit?usp=sharing

Part II: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10ccmIlKntI0mMz3SO351X73sEPiWmjx2arq7AZ_GCNw/edit?usp=sharing

Part III: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19G-RzRb9nO0PGQ07VvmTCXuoBaBp41a1pDvychSXT4o/edit?usp=sharing

Part IV:

Craftsman Socket Evolution 1947-2024 Part IV

Craftsman Socket Evolution 1947-2024 Part IV: The Brief Return of US Production by Stanley Black & Decker 2019-2024 Codes: None; except for CMMT before the model number. Background On January 5, 2017, Sears sold Craftsman to Stanley Black & Decker for $900 million. SBD said that they would b...

docs.google.com

 

[Jim C.]

Okay, I’m interested.

Jim C.

 

[Lesserstore]

Is the link working now?

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Sounds great! Appreciate the info

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Good stuff. Thanks!

 

[Lesserstore]

Thanks for the feedback guys! I am hoping to have part II by the end of the week, I am a senior in high school so school comes first. Does anyone have any scans of the catalogs from 1983-93 those would really help in the next part.

 

[woody 73]

Interested to learn a little bit more about your part lll, I can give you a little bit of info about the EE Series.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I am a senior in high school so school comes first.

At the risk of sounding like I am patronizing you, this is astonishing and uplifting to discover. My son (the fifth of my five children) is a junior in HS, and while he is fairly mechanical, and all my kids have shown respect for my hobby, and listen to (maybe tolerate would be a better word) my stories and anecdotes, none of them would have this level of interest. I commend your efforts.

I do have a suggestion. Why not turn your work into a paper? The study of Craftsman (and Sears, Roebuck & Company) intersects with numerous subjects, including History, Marketing, and US and World Economics. With the recent demise of Sears, an American icon, it also has contemporary bite. A little more context on the manufacturers behind the codes, and the decline of US manufacturing, and you could turn this into an academic exercise proposed to one or more of your teachers to get credit for your research.

I also have a question. Why did you start your timeline in 1948? It seems to deliberately ignore the Craftsman tools of the 1930's and wartime. Just curious.

 

[larry4406]

At the risk of sounding like I am patronizing you, this is astonishing and uplifting to discover. My son (the fifth of my five children) is a junior in HS, and while he is fairly mechanical, and all my kids have shown respect for my hobby, and listen to (maybe tolerate would be a better word) my stories and anecdotes, none of them would have this level of interest. I commend your efforts.

I do have a suggestion. Why not turn your work into a paper? The study of Craftsman (and Sears, Roebuck & Company) intersects with numerous subjects, including History, Marketing, and US and World Economics. With the recent demise of Sears, an American icon, it also has contemporary bite. A little more context on the manufacturers behind the codes, and the decline of US manufacturing, and you could turn this into an academic exercise proposed to one or more of your teachers to get credit for your research.

I also have a question. Why did you start your timeline in 1948? It seems to deliberately ignore the Craftsman tools of the 1930's and wartime. Just curious.

Where is the like button!?

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Lugz, the timeline, at least for me, has been easier on the earlier tools. They were more distinct. The more drop forge stuff ran for so long with such minor changes sometimes I can't tell how old it is.

 

[Lesserstore]

Lugz, that sounds like a good idea and I probably will if it fits the prompt. As oldtuleguy said it seems to be easier to date than the newer stuff, which is why I started at 1948. The earlier stuff I will leave to alloy artifacts.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

=v= is the hardest to date. Over 20 years and the distinctions are minor, such as the early tapered sockets.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

LesserStore, and Otg,

I wasn't inquiring about the prewar and wartime Craftsman production era for my own edification. Frankly, I thought that would go without saying by now. Between lauver's early work and the Long C thread, in general, and especially with Gear Wolf's periodic interludes, I think we eclipsed AA's knowledge base here on GJ a long time ago. I was inquiring because it seems arbitrary to start in the middle rather than the beginning. Honestly, I don't know how one would even go about delving into the subject of MDF as a sole source provider without covering the early years in at least some summary fashion. Dealing with the myriad of multiple, competing, and overlapping suppliers (and codes) - also a more complex period to document than most people realize, I think - had to have some influence on Sears moving to a single source in 1948-ish. But, if you're saying that the 1948-2011 period is more in need of a deep dive, that makes sense and presents a worthier cause. I don't pay any attention to anything much past the transition to MDF, so I really wouldn't know.

Best of luck on your project, and I would encourage you to think about my recommendation to make it an academic pursuit.

 

[Lesserstore]

I do have a family connection to the Craftsman brand. My great grandfather, when not working as a mechanic in the air force (civilian employee) he worked for Sears as a repair man for small engines and appliances. He LOVED Craftsman, too bad he passed away before I was born. But he lived a fairly long life from 1906-92. I have some of his old tools that my dad got from his estate.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Sorry lugz, did not mean to cast any doubt on your obviously extensive knowledge! just commenting on the greater need for some mdf research vs. the earlier stuff.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Hey I wasn't giving myself the credit! I know my way around the many brands and codes, and I have deep dived a little on the Costello patent ratchet, and the wartime and postwar date code variants, but Craftsman is not my bailiwick, hence my allusion to lauver, the Long C thread collectively, and Gear Wolf. (EDIT: My point was it could also still stand to be documented in a study.) But yeah, I get it now. If the later years are actually harder to figure out, it makes it more of a challenge.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I do have a family connection to the Craftsman brand. My great grandfather, when not working as a mechanic in the air force (civilian employee) he worked for Sears as a repair man for small engines and appliances. He LOVED Craftsman, too bad he passed away before I was born. But he lived a fairly long life from 1906-92. I have some of his old tools that my dad got from his estate.

It's in your blood. You will do the subject and your great grandfather proud. I have no expertise in your stated timeframe, but I look forward to following your work.

 

[Lesserstore]

Another reason I chose to start at 1948 was because I simply don't have any craftsman hand tools older than that. If I had the older ones I would have started their and I might do a series on them if I ever come across any.

 

[d42jeep]

I’ve picked up quite a bit of Craftsman =V= knowledge from Jim C. He is another good one to consult along with JoCo and Rileysan among others already mentioned.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

As good a reason as any, Lesserstore. There's something to be said for not spreading the butter too thin, too.

 

[Zeeman]

This is very cool. I'm a bit of a Craftsman nut, especially with the Gray/Red toolboxes and rollers. I wish someone would do more research on the toolboxes documenting the differences between them.

You have my attention and I'm subscribed!

 

[DadsTools]

The link to this thread could be added to Lugz' sticky?

 

[Lesserstore]

Part II added! See first comment.

 

[Lesserstore]

Ok so I am going to start on EE series and I have some questions. Why did Sears have Stanley make ratchets and sockets while Easco was also making them? Was it Demand? That's the only reason I can think of. Anybody know why Sears did this?

 

[woody 73]

Ok as we all know craftsman never made their own tools...

Craftsman was a Devil in sheep's clothing and anyone who went into bed with them got burned really bad. (examples on two of my older posts).

Sometimes just sometimes if a manufacturing company could get away with cutting costs they would go for it; if it were in their favor.

Sears only gave the contract to the cheapest player in the field.

Not sure op of the starting date, but sometimes in the early 1980's Stanley got the contract and they went to China/Taiwan and had (some of their sockets made there, and the rest being made in the USA.

Stanley did not make some of the sockets to the same length (chrome) as had been the case in the past. Not sure how they got away with that one, but they did not get away with them being made overseas and the cry went out far and away and they stopped. I believe the Gov't went after them also.

In a funny way I had bought a craftsman box empty and started filling it with sockets and darn if those EE sockets would never fit in those spaces.

Hope that sheds a little light for you op.

 

[Lesserstore]

Ok as we all know craftsman never made their own tools...

Craftsman was a Devil in sheep's clothing and anyone who went into bed with them got burned really bad. (examples on two of my older posts).

Sometimes just sometimes if a manufacturing company could get away with cutting costs they would go for it; if it were in their favor.

Sears only gave the contract to the cheapest player in the field.

Not sure op of the starting date, but sometimes in the early 1980's Stanley got the contract and they went to China/Taiwan and had (some of their sockets made there, and the rest being made in the USA.

Stanley did not make some of the sockets to the same length (chrome) as had been the case in the past. Not sure how they got away with that one, but they did not get away with them being made overseas and the cry went out far and away and they stopped. I believe the Gov't went after them also.

In a funny way I had bought a craftsman box empty and started filling it with sockets and darn if those EE sockets would never fit in those spaces.

Hope that sheds a little light for you op.

Thanks that really helps!

 

[David Jackson]

Ok as we all know craftsman never made their own tools...

Craftsman was a Devil in sheep's clothing and anyone who went into bed with them got burned really bad. (examples on two of my older posts).

Sometimes just sometimes if a manufacturing company could get away with cutting costs they would go for it; if it were in their favor.

Sears only gave the contract to the cheapest player in the field.

Not sure op of the starting date, but sometimes in the early 1980's Stanley got the contract and they went to China/Taiwan and had (some of their sockets made there, and the rest being made in the USA.

Stanley did not make some of the sockets to the same length (chrome) as had been the case in the past. Not sure how they got away with that one, but they did not get away with them being made overseas and the cry went out far and away and they stopped. I believe the Gov't went after them also.

In a funny way I had bought a craftsman box empty and started filling it with sockets and darn if those EE sockets would never fit in those spaces.

Hope that sheds a little light for you op.

This has nothing to do with Craftsman tools but the fact that Sears was a big company with lots of clout which could create real problems with other companies which "got in bed" with them is exemplified by the relationship which existed in the 1960s between Sears and the High Standard company. High Standard started out as a maker if high quality .22 target pistols and Sears wound up being its biggest customer, so much so that it could kind of call the tune and in the end didn't do High Standard much good. If you have access to American Rifleman magazines, the Feb. 1988 issue has an informative article gy Charles Petty detailing that company's rise and fall. The point here is that Sears, because it commanded so much of a smaller company's production could dictate terms really good for Sears but not so good for High Standard.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Probably more than 95% of my Craftsman tools are pre-1990.

 

[Lesserstore]

Thanks for the responses guys! I've heard of Sears doing similar things to companies/inventors. EE series is the most common craftsman around my house. Another question: I have never seen an EE metric socket with the knurled band, did they ever have that or did Stanley completely omit it?

 

[d42jeep]

I don’t know if your socket research has led you to read through the Heritage thread, but back in November I happened on a set of =v= 1/2” drive sockets that were Cadmium plated rather than the much more common Chrome plating. There was some discussion at that time and I looked through my Craftsman tools and realized that I had several more Craftsman Cadmium plated tools. I looked at a couple of catalogs and noticed that Sears had bragged about “TRIPLE PLATED***chromium over nickel over copper” in the 1949 catalog but by 1951 they mentioned that the tools were simply “plated, finished and machine polished for protection against rust.” My take on the difference in advertising indicated that they had gone to less expensive Cadmium plating as a cost cutting measure. I suspect that the resulting dull finish wasn’t a hit with customers used to shiny Chrome tools and that Sears quickly switched back to Chrome in order to regain their popularity. Here are some pictures of the set, other cad plated tools and the two different catalog pages.
-Don

 

[Lesserstore]

I don’t know if your socket research has led you to read through the Heritage thread, but back in November I happened on a set of =v= 1/2” drive sockets that were Cadmium plated rather than the much more common Chrome plating. There was some discussion at that time and I looked through my Craftsman tools and realized that I had several more Craftsman Cadmium plated tools. I looked at a couple of catalogs and noticed that Sears had bragged about “TRIPLE PLATED***chromium over nickel over copper” in the 1949 catalog but by 1951 they mentioned that the tools were simply “plated, finished and machine polished for protection against rust.” My take on the difference in advertising indicated that they had gone to less expensive Cadmium plating as a cost cutting measure. I suspect that the resulting dull finish wasn’t a hit with customers used to shiny Chrome tools and that Sears quickly switched back to Chrome in order to regain their popularity. Here are some pictures of the set, other cad plated tools and the two different catalog pages.
-Don

Thanks for the info! I'll add the correction later today. After doing my own digging in the Spring '51 Sears catalog it still mentions the triple plating, in the fall '51 catalog it makes no mention of it just "finished", and we don't see chrome plating mentioned until the spring of '55 catalog. My new source for Sears catalogs is actually ancestry.com they have Sears catalogs from 1896-1993 and it's free you just need an account.

Edit: Sorry that they are hard to read, I'll put the pics in part I. They pictures here are in order spring '51, fall '51, spring '55.

 

[turbowoodworker]

OP, thanks for all the research. I have used Lauver's list since I discovered it on J years ago. This is a nice supplement. Appreciate all the hard work.
Rick

 

[Lesserstore]

OP, thanks for all the research. I have used Lauver's list since I discovered it on J years ago. This is a nice supplement. Appreciate all the hard work.
Rick

Thanks man!

Cadmium sockets added to part I.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Just read up on the cad info. Very interesting.

 

[d42jeep]

Here are a few more pictures of my Cad plated =v= tools.
-Don

 

[Shiftless]

It’s good to see the younger generation stepping up to do the work of digging up and organizing additional facts to build on the efforts of those who have come before you.

I’ll look around through my old Craftsman stuff. It looks like a few of the regulars have already chipped in.

 

[d42jeep]

It’s good to see the younger generation stepping up to do the work of digging up and organizing additional facts to build on the efforts of those who have come before you.

I’ll look around through my old Craftsman stuff. It looks like a few of the regulars have already chipped in.

Good to see that you are still posting and doing okay even though our visits have been curtailed. Honk if you drive by.
For those who aren’t aware of Lauver’s original Craftsman codes thread, here’s a link.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=84807
-Don

 

[ooba tooba]

I’d also like to commend OP here. This is relevant to the interests of many, and you are in good company here. Only gripe I have is the picture format in the docs. It seems if you went with a thumbnail (and I’m not real savvy myself here regarding the specifics) than you could click on it and zoom in for fine details without losing resolution (eBay has this same format with their pics the last year or so, and it’s frustrating when small details matter). Cheers!

 

[ooba tooba]

Also, is there a consensus on what the best quality years were for Craftsman sockets and ratchets?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Also, is there a consensus on what the best quality years were for Craftsman sockets and ratchets?

No. That discussion has broken out on a few different threads from time to time. It's very safe to say it usually comes down to Long C BE/(H)/(U)(K) and =V=. There's not too many people out there arguing for -VV- or EE etc. My take is that most of the =V= proponents have never really truly held a Long C tool in their hands and their opinion is skewed by emotion. The =V= line is what they think of as Grandpa's tools, Dad's tools, and the pinnacle of good old Made in the USA Craftsman "modern" production, but mainly because everything before that is considered antique or bulky etc., which is not true. To be fair, the Long C proponents are just as susceptible to bias. 'The tools that won the war,' etc. I am one of them. When you get past that, I do think there is a consensus that the 30's to the 50's was their sweet spot.