I think it makes me angry?

[oneandgone]

It's at the very least a marketing ploy, but looks outright deceptive to me. I guess marketing usually is though. I think they're trying to make you think you're buying American when you aren't.

Fairmount was bought out by Martin in the early 80's IIRC and they have been making the same body hammers and dollies with nothing really changing other than the name on the head from Fairmount to Martin.

Eastwood sells the full line of Martin tools, but now they are selling Fairmount Tools body hammers and dollies. They are not the same as the Martin tools, I think they may be the same as the Teng body tools. In the fine print they are labeled as imported.

Is it legal for them to be called Fairmount? I guess it's been 30 years, but it seems like they're trying to pass them off as something they aren't. Should I anticipate seeing some Tiawan stuff labeled as Heller or Herbrand or Plvmb soon?

http://www.eastwood.com/autobody/dent-repair/hammers-dollies/fairmount.html

 

[bobcatdan]

My guess is somebody bought the right to the name. Take Thorsen tools. Good USA hand tool company from the 60's and 70's. They went under at some point and an import got the right to the name. Now you can buy typical import tools with the thorsen name on it.

 

[neophyte]

Fairmount Anvil Dolly
Item #14307
In Stock - Ready to Ship Today
Only $39.99
Fairmount metal forming dollies are designed for precision metal shaping as performed by skilled craftsman for more than 100 years. Each Fairmount dolly is painstakingly designed for optimum contour, smooth surfaces and high quality raw material to ensure years of reliable service. The heat treated precision ground and polished dolly gives you the comfort and control you need to achieve professional results. Fairmount Hammers & Dollies are the choice of professionals and DIY's, see the entire Fairmount line and build your heirloom collection today! Given the description on some stuff they're definately trying to pull a fast one on someone who has heard of the brand but doesn't know enough about it to know they went out of buisiness, or they're trying to pull a fast one on people who don't fully read the description or have the best reading comprehension skills. John Stortz & Son Inc. in Philadelphia still sell Fairmont tongs for bending sheet metal. Don't know if the lack of the "u" in fairmont was to avoid trademark infringement originally or if it was a separate company from Fairmount or if it was simply a separate company with a similar name. The bending tongs are listed as USA made. If the trademark expired or wasn't registered in a particular country they may be allowed to use it without repercussion unless someone wants to mount an expensive lawsuit. I believe this may have happenned with Eclipse Tools which is both a Brittish tool manufacturer of Saws, General shop tools, magnets, and machinist items, part of Neill tools, Bowers Metrology and Spear and Jackson Group. There is also another company going by the name Eclipse that sells electronics and Datacomm tools. Don't know if someone didn't bother to register or renew a trademark or wether they decided it wasn't worth the lawsuit.

 

[Lhorn]

I suppose it's exactly what it it...trying to capitalize off a name from the past. On the otherhand, someone buying a tool, assuming it's made in the same country or even with the same craftsmanship as a same branded tool made 30 years ago has probably been living under a rock.
It's done all the time.
I guess my thought is guys who have been in the business for decades might not be buying tools from Eastwood and guys who are hobbyists don't necessarily recognize the name and what it stood for decades ago.
In this day and age, you gotta check COA if it matters to you. Take nothing for granted.

 

[honcho]

Trade names are bought and sold all the time, often as part of the bankruptcy process when the name is sometimes the only thing of value

Anything named "Polaroid" today has no relation to the Polaroid corporation of instant camera fame.

"Madewell" was the name of a US maker of work clothes purchased by J.Crew and now made in China, Bangladesh, wherever.

Heck, Snap-On rents out their name for use on cheap pressure washers and flashlights

It is, sadly, just how business works.

 

[joe_padavano]

Trade names are bought and sold all the time,

X2. Here's another example - Rigid brand power tools sold at Home Depot. Rigid doesn't make power tools, just plumbing tools. HD bought the right to use the Rigid name for power tools and has them made "off shore".

 

[Professur]

How is this any different from ... Chevrolet?

 

[Haukur]

 

[dirtydogintex]

bbq or fried?

 

[CRH]

I just noticed those Fairmount hammers on Ebay. They sure look clunky compared to the Martin body hammers... Just my opinion.

 

[ganymede]

Rockwell.

 

[Hantke]

How is this any different from ... Chevrolet?

Ford / Mazda anyone?

 

[Steinmetz]

"...John Stortz & Son Inc. in Philadelphia still sell Fairmont tongs for bending sheet metal. Don't know if the lack of the "u" in fairmont was to avoid trademark infringement…".

The standard under the Lanham Act is the likelihood of confusion in the mind of the consumer. Sounds like it might be confusing to me. I'd send them a cease and desist letter if it was up to me.

"...If the trademark expired or wasn't registered in a particular country they may be allowed to use it without repercussion unless someone wants to mount an expensive lawsuit…".

If the trademark expired, it's simply unenforceable. If not registered in the USPTO, you may have "common law" rights within a certain area. Federal registration means the mark is enforceable anywhere in the U.S.

"...There is also another company going by the name Eclipse that sells electronics and Datacomm tools…"

It doesn't sound to me like they make hand saws. There can be other users of the name Eclipse. Just not in the handsaw business. There could, for example, be other users of the name "snap-on" for children's clothing, or fishing tackle, etc. since these are entirely different uses of the name.

 

[Steinmetz]

BTW, (to keep me out of hot water), the foregoing does not constitute legal advice. Just legal information.

 

[finn]

Names come and go , and are recycled all the time. Why loose sleep over it?

The International Harvester name was bought by Case 25 years ago. Westinghouse televisions are Westinghouse in name only.

Nothing new here.

 

[bdcaron]

I'm not sure but my guess is that Martin bought Fairmount body tools then moved the manufacturing to China. This allows them to compete against "off-shore" brands.

Gibson guitars did this with Epiphone. Edelbrock sells the E-Street line which is also made in China.

 

[zendriver]

Seems like I heard "Milwaukee" has some of their power tools made in China.

Apparently to matters a lot to some, not at all to others.

Regarding the OP, either it's a good hammer, or it isn't. Like most everything else, the name is just something they put on it.

Should I anticipate seeing some Tiawan stuff labeled as Heller or Herbrand or Plvmb soon?

Maybe, why not?

 

[vssjim]

Martin Body tools are made in Fort Worth Texas never seen any imports made by them and very few imported tools sold by them. The slide hammer dent puller is an import because the vendor they buy it from moved it to Taiwan but that is a very low volume tool for them would be tough to gear up to make their own for such low volume tool.
Most Milwaukee tools are made in china as a china company bought them and it is too bad.

 

[dnschmidt]

The Eastwood Fairmont body tools are actually pretty nice. I've got a couple of their dollies and they are just as nice as my TOPTUL and Martin. I don't think a chuck of steel gives a **** where it's forged but I could be wrong about that.