New Sears/Craftsman timeline chart

[Outlawmws]

I know there is a thread for some of this info http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=84807, put up and maintained by Gary Lauver, but I made this up as a way to easily visualize both the Code on the hand tools for the first 50 years, as well as various non-Craftsman trademarks Sears used over the years (Dunlap, Companion etc.). Something you can keep handy in the shop or even take with you folded up in your pocket when Flea marketing and such.

A lot of info also came from the catalogs Rose antiques has made available, and I used that info liberally, BUT, it may not be 100% complete for spans as there are many gaps in the catalogs from 1931 -1973.

I may not go any newer, as this is the span I'm interested in, but I do plan on adding a page two (at least) for the model number prefix's of the power tools, and I may attempt to put that into time lines as well, and may include the power tool types. That one is a lot more work however, so I'll get to it when I get to it...


Please feel free to look it over, comment if you see any errata, and once this is finalized, I'll post it into Gary's thread as an add-on.

And thanks to Gary for posting the info used as well as Rose antiques.

Edit: added the Logo's pic, I don't trust the dates on the yellow logos entirely; that was what I got with them:
PDF updated to Rev 1 4/24/2012

 

[teletekman]

Cool, this is going to make a great additional to my Flea Market Bible! Now hopefully I won't walk out any more being the sucker....

Cheers Outlaw!

 

[capnrob97]

Nice.

So if I am reading it right, a Craftsman ratchet I have with "-V-" on it was made by Easco?

 

[Outlawmws]

Easco or Moore Drop Forge. The V markings ran from 46-86, with a change to Easco in 68. Possibly a merger or buy out?

 

[capnrob97]

Thanks, I bought this ratchet when I started buying a few tools each week after graduating college in 1987, so the 1986 timeline for Easco makes sense.

 

[lbgradwell]

Nicely done! A very worthwhile addition.

It's interesting to see the time v. producer & overlap perspective...

 

[FJ 432]

This will be laminated and found somewhere in my garage after I pass.

Thanks Outlaw.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Awesome!!

 

[metaldad]

Very nice. Kudos on the job.

 

[Outlawmws]

Thanks guys. Any one See any errata?

 

[Fudge]

Thanks Outlaw. This means my Companion bench grinder is a 33-40. Holy ****!!!! Thats old for a tool that gets used all the time.

 

[DRhodes]

Thanks - Makes it much easier to read.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

I like it

Thanks Outlaww

 

[B17E1943]

Thanks guys. Any one See any errata?

Information is misspelled on the Sub-Trademarks (per Cat.) line.

Great work - thanks for that!

 

[Outlawmws]

Information is misspelled on the Sub-Trademarks (per Cat.) line.

Great work - thanks for that!

Got it! Thanks!

 

[B17E1943]

And Miller Falls should be Millers Falls, apparently ...

 

[woody 73]

Great job well Done!

 

[Jarhead0408]

Long drawn out whistle, Good job man, I'll be putting a mini copy in my wallet for the pawn shops. Thanks Again.

 

[Justin1776]

Very cool, thanks

 

[Outlawmws]

And Miller Falls should be Millers Falls, apparently ...

Fixed, thanks again.

 

[Outlawmws]

Thanks again everyone!

I will re-post with the minor corrections in a day or so, once we think it's all good.

 

[jeffmoss26]

I have some EE sockets that say made in USA, but the other thread says Taiwanese made?

 

[Outlawmws]

I have some EE sockets that say made in USA, but the other thread says Taiwanese made?

Run it past Gary and see if he has an answer? I think if the supplier changed COO, Sears would not have a lot of say, depending on the way the contract was written...

 

[lbgradwell]

I have some EE sockets that say made in USA, but the other thread says Taiwanese made?

You're right; some EE was USA. Gary knows this, but just hasn't updated the GJ thread.

There are a couple of other items that need updating/correcting on the original thread too...

 

[hammlm]

Very nicely done. Thank you outlaw.

 

[kc-steve]

Very good chart Outlaw. Professional quality.

Steve

 

[kc-steve]

I have some EE sockets that say made in USA, but the other thread says Taiwanese made?

I'm not sure the "EE" is the same for both. I have some wrenches from the 80s or 90s with the model number that ends in "EE" and they are definitely Taiwan made. So my thinking is that there are two different instances that mean different things.

Steve

 

[Outlawmws]

OK guys and gals, post one has the updated Rev 1 timeline in it, ready for down load.

 

[Outlawmws]

Added some Logo images to the first post!

 

[Harwinton]

Are you sure you got the dates right on your "1950-1964" logo? My old Craftsman jig saw from the 1940's has that logo on its sticker.

 

[Outlawmws]

Are you sure you got the dates right on your "1950-1964" logo? My old Craftsman jig saw from the 1940's has that logo on its sticker.

Based on what is in the catalogs, yes. Actually I need to update that to 1949, as we have found one or two of those logos in that catalog.

Post a pic of your Jig saw, lets find it in the catalogs.

 

[Harwinton]

Here's a photo of the exact same jig saw as I have (although mine isn't dirty and rusty). You can see the sticker right below the table:
http://images.craigslist.org/5L85Ha5Me3G43L63J8c4h74389c9fa4361ae0.jpg

My grandfather got it in the mid-1940's. The documentation I have with it has a 1947 date.

 

[Outlawmws]

Well, I don't have a 47 catalog, but the 48 does show the jig saws with the logos, so I guess we push that date back again.

So 47-49 a few items had it, and the same 60-64, but 50-59 near everything was using it.

Thanks!

 

[DWise]

This is my first post and an attached picture, I hope it works.

Here is a Craftsman micro-dial drill bit. Is the "AN" supposed to be a manufacturer/date code?

 

[Outlawmws]

This is my first post and an attached picture, I hope it works.

Here is a Craftsman micro-dial drill bit. Is the "AN" supposed to be a manufacturer/date code?

Probably just a mfg code, but not a known one from the other Thread/list.

 

[BFBOB]

Great information, and a huge amount of work. THANK YOU!

 

[Phill]

how about this logo? (stamped into a 5" broad axe hatchet)... anyone ever seen it before?

TIA

 

[Outlawmws]

Probably 1930's Nice find!

 

[gdocktor3]

Phill - a member since January 2014, makes his first post today, August 2016, on a thread from 2012. That's GJ for ya.

Sweet axe by the way!

 

[drink]

At what point did the quality of Craftsman hand tools begin to drop?