CGarage
Well-known member
Griots Garage had started with Facom, went to USAG, then to Beta. And they are now back to USAG.
Facom Tools made in France
- Thread starter nbrfd007
- Start date
Griots Garage had started with Facom, went to USAG, then to Beta. And they are now back to USAG.
Yes, I couldn’t find any online presence for Facom where I could email them but I did find them on Facebook. I messaged them and they sent me an image showing my old socket set from a 1945 catalog. Thanks
dnschmidt
Well-known member
Actually, TOPTUL, or more accurately Rotar Machinery makes a lot of Facom's wrenches for them. That's really not a bad thing as TOPTUL makes really good wrenches. Yes, they are made in Taiwan but that in no way makes them less good. Capitalist will always pursue cheap labor doesn't matter if they're American or European.
Dave455
Well-known member
I’ve got a bit of Facom. Quite like it to be honest. It’s quite unique styled stuff, but also very practical.
First saw it way back in the late 80’s. A local tool shop stocked it. The big selling point for me wasn’t so much the quality (though it is good) but rather the variety of tools on offer. I think Facom made a wider range, including more specialist tools, than any other maker! I have many Facom tools that are either not available, or not to the same quality, from other makers.
Yes, the whole Stanley takeover isn’t great. Some of the outsourced tools are O.K. (440 wrenches spring to mind) but some are not as good as the originals. Not all the tools were French in the first place. The “Palm Control” ratchets for example, I’m pretty certain were always Italian.
Although many tools are outsourced, many classic patterns are still available. Some have definitely been discontinued though.
Anyway, here are some of mine. The 3/8 drive set lives in my road box. I love these “Palm Control” ratchets. Great to use and very smooth, long before the Dual 80.
I have the old French made 40 series wrenches in my road box too. 7 - 19mm. Lovely tools. If I’d known how good they were I’d have bought more. Here’s the 10mm. Quite heavily used, but no real wear!
I love their screwdrivers. The ones with the soft red grips don’t last (which soft grips do) but the old hard black handles are great. Now discontinued. The drivers with the red acetate handles are still available and they are my favourites. More geared to electrical work than mechanical (typical of Facom to offer a choice) but these handles work better for me than some of these oversized things.
Other things Facom do well - toolboxes, generally. Loads available, including many styles that Snap On just can’t be bothered with. The small (Micro Tech?) tools - screwdriver set shown. Optimised for small mechanical work rather than watchmaking. These handles were designed by someone who actually uses the tools!
First saw it way back in the late 80’s. A local tool shop stocked it. The big selling point for me wasn’t so much the quality (though it is good) but rather the variety of tools on offer. I think Facom made a wider range, including more specialist tools, than any other maker! I have many Facom tools that are either not available, or not to the same quality, from other makers.
Yes, the whole Stanley takeover isn’t great. Some of the outsourced tools are O.K. (440 wrenches spring to mind) but some are not as good as the originals. Not all the tools were French in the first place. The “Palm Control” ratchets for example, I’m pretty certain were always Italian.
Although many tools are outsourced, many classic patterns are still available. Some have definitely been discontinued though.
Anyway, here are some of mine. The 3/8 drive set lives in my road box. I love these “Palm Control” ratchets. Great to use and very smooth, long before the Dual 80.
I have the old French made 40 series wrenches in my road box too. 7 - 19mm. Lovely tools. If I’d known how good they were I’d have bought more. Here’s the 10mm. Quite heavily used, but no real wear!
I love their screwdrivers. The ones with the soft red grips don’t last (which soft grips do) but the old hard black handles are great. Now discontinued. The drivers with the red acetate handles are still available and they are my favourites. More geared to electrical work than mechanical (typical of Facom to offer a choice) but these handles work better for me than some of these oversized things.
Other things Facom do well - toolboxes, generally. Loads available, including many styles that Snap On just can’t be bothered with. The small (Micro Tech?) tools - screwdriver set shown. Optimised for small mechanical work rather than watchmaking. These handles were designed by someone who actually uses the tools!
