SK Day 2015 ?

[shamrock12]

Okay guys, as some of you probably will remember, we had our very first ever SK Day which was held by our exceptional tool supplier Harry J. Epstein around this time last year. Despite some backorders from SK factory that stretched upward to a couple months, I believe it was a huge success for all of the parties involved. So I just thought I would put this up and see if perhaps there would be some interest in having another SK Day this year. In fact, I am thinking that we could turn this into an annual event, like Epstein’s Day.

I have noticed for quite some time that there also has been some interest expressed here on this forum about having Wright Day as well. There were some discussions about ‘Spring for Wright Day’ and ‘Fall for SK Day’ (or something along these lines). For some reason, the Wright Day never quite materialized this spring and kind of took place on Epstein’s Day this year, or so it appeared to me. I didn’t participate this year, but I am fairly sure SK was involved as well.

I will start this thread by sharing my personal thoughts about this one. I think it is pretty evident that the timing of our GarageJournal events should be taken into consideration so one event would not coincidence to another event in such short time frame or else some of us may not have sufficient time to replenish our tool funds for the next ‘round.’

So here is what I am thinking … perhaps we could have Wright Day in the spring, Epstein’s Day in the summer (pretty obvious), and SK Day in the fall. This would work out to approximately 3 months in between events. I wouldn’t suggest anything for winter as most of us will have families to worry about for Christmas time (not to mention Zoro holiday sales). Of course, that is just my thoughts. If some of us would like to do something differently this year then that’s fine.

I do know for a fact there are some members here that already have expressed interest in having another SK Day. Most of those interests were expressed after receiving their SK orders last year though, so I guess the main objective here is to see if the interest is still there and if so, if we would like to turn this into an annual event and have it held on September 23rd (the first day of fall) or something around that.

This is something I have been looking forward to for several months and am getting pretty excited about this, even though this is only preliminary at this point.

Your thoughts?

 

[shamrock12]

Just wanted to note that the poll above is for what you would like to do this FALL

 

[BK13]

Outside of some 1/4" semi-deep sockets, I have most of the SK tools I think I want. Would rather see a Wright day, but probably could not participate this year.

 

[Loscaldazar]

I would love another SK day!

Has anyone talked to Jori about it? I would be more than happy to help coordinate things since Bull is taking some well deserved personal time.

 

[dutchgray]

I voted the skint option, which is not entirely true but my Epstein's day order was large (which is still waiting on a backordered SK item at the moment) and I have bought a lot of other stuff lately as well so only a small order could be possible.
We sort of did Wright day on Epstein's day, as there was goodies thrown in and their whole catalogue went up on the new site, last years SK day had additional discounts as another incentive.
That's said another SK day would be good if Epstein's want to do it this year.

 

[woody 73]

Not to break the balls of the op because I am all for an sk day to support HJE, but for the post I am working on for tomorrow on American made tools the women on the phone was peeing in her underwear when I told her I was working on the story; in short she said how happy she was that I was getting the word out in order to keep them making and selling their products.

In other words how about supporting other American companies that are staying loyal to keeping their products made in the USA.

 

[LB-1911]

I would love another SK day!

Has anyone talked to Jori about it? I would be more than happy to help coordinate things since Bull is taking some well deserved personal time.

Sent Jori a c&p of op and the link.

 

[jakemac]

We have an annual HJE day (that encompasses all the manufacturers that they carry).
Last year we also did an SK day and Enderes day.
In the past this site has also highlighted other manufacturers on their own day.

While I like the idea of having another SK day someday, I like the idea of "spreading the word" about other US manufacturers better. Wright is one of those names that has been talked about for a while now, and I think we should give them their turn before we return to a company that has already had it's turn.

Spread the wealth and play no favorites (except for HJE of course ).

 

[Rickster55]

I've been building my SK set right along since last year. Nothing that is going to make Jori want to retire or anything but I add to it when I can. That being said, I would like to see other manufacturers recognized for their made in the USA products. JMO

 

[Askme42]

I'm up for another sk day but I would likely participate if it were a wright day also.

 

[d.mcfarland]

I think Wright would be a better option this time around. Possibly rotate every other year?

I'm with Bull on this one it sounds like.

 

[shamrock12]

I would love another SK day!

Has anyone talked to Jori about it? I would be more than happy to help coordinate things since Bull is taking some well deserved personal time.

I actually inquired him about it last week and as far as I could tell, he seems pretty open to run another event if we wish to do so. It could be SK, Wright, or perhaps another USA manufacturer. Naturally, I will leave that judgment up to him once we've established a good "database" of what we would like to do, if any at all.

 

[firworks]

I'd love to see more days like these. It's really fun getting swept up in it and you get great tools out of it and HJE and the manufacturers benefit. It's a win-win except for our wallets. That said I'd love to see Wright day next as I love the Wright tools I have and want to get more of them. That said, they sadly don't offer the next tools on my purchase list, full sets of deep 1/4" sockets. They don't appear to make 4.5mm or 5.5mm. That said, I'm sure I could find something else to get from them that I don't need but want!

I will say though if there was another SK day I wouldn't begrudge it and would probably pick something up from them too.

To those who are saying we should support some of the other American tool companies, what ones did you have in mind? Maybe getting a list together would help others make a decision here.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I have most of the SK/Wright stuff I need, but could always get a bit more.


I agree with the sentiment above, while I support SK, they had their official day, so lets spread the love to another manufacturer. It's not like SK hasn't thrown in goodies/promos any time Epsteins does anything.

To be clear, I was very happy with SK day, and I'm still buying more of there stuff. But I don't want to see there only be the July 4th and SK days. If the point of this is US manufacturing, lets support as many popular brands as possible. We all know, that no matter which company is the "official" vender, SK, Wright, Armstorng, etc are still going to be bought, along with lots of other items from various smaller venders. I'm not talking about pushing SK aside and saying "see ya", they're still an important part of this. But variety of manufactures will bring in more sales, that's just how it works.



FWIW: Williams would be an awesome choice, IMO.

 

[Tinner]

Either or both would be fine with me. You guys hash it out. My credit card awaits...

 

[vssjim]

I would go right to a couple of the new ratchet wrenches for sure.

 

[Benw455]

Count me in. And yes Williams tools would be cool.

 

[Defender]

I am new to this site and I have a few SK tools. But what I have really become a fan of is Armstrong Tools. wonder if they can coordinate a few specials on these with SK?

 

[jsackin]

I am down for whatever you guys decide. You figure out which US manufacturer you'd like to support and I'll go to them and see what we can work out. It's completely up to you. I like SK, but am just as happy to do a Wright day or even a much smaller lesser known US manufacturer (C.S. Osborne, Mayhew, Midwest, Norseman, etc.)

 

[loranger]

Channellock day? I love their pliers! I would also love to pick up some SK 1/4" deep impacts....

 

[valentine]

A set of Wright Grip Wrenches is in my future. Not thinking I need anything from SK, but that could change

-Valentine

 

[John in OH]

We have an annual HJE day (that encompasses all the manufacturers that they carry).
Last year we also did an SK day and Enderes day.
In the past this site has also highlighted other manufacturers on their own day.

While I like the idea of having another SK day someday, I like the idea of "spreading the word" about other US manufacturers better. Wright is one of those names that has been talked about for a while now, and I think we should give them their turn before we return to a company that has already had it's turn.

Spread the wealth and play no favorites (except for HJE of course ).

+1 !! I totally agree with Jakemac. The love needs to be spread around. It makes more sense to me to have a format more like an "HJE" day around July 4 to celebrate US manufacturing in general, and then a later (Oct.??) event where we focus on a specific US manufacture.

In the past for example, there was "Wilde Wednesday"; we've also had an Enderes Day and a specific SK Day. So, for the second annual event, let's select some other US manufacturer and focus on them. Wright is a good choice, but so is Trusty Cook, Mayhew, Channel-lock, Klein, or one of countless other, perhaps lesser-known, US companies.

I'm also concerned that having more than two "events" per year dilutes the fun and will ultimately reduce the overall participation. We might as well just place our orders on our own whenever we wish. So, let's limit the number of events to keep them special and more focused (also allows for more time to recharge the tool budget!!).

Incidentally, I didn't participate in the poll because I didn't like any of the choices (kind of like the current batch of GOP and Dem presidential candidates!!).

 

[67King]

For clarification, would there be any promos with this, or just another "buy this brand from this vendor just because" day? I waited about 6 months to buy some Wright stuff from HJE, and I'm sorry, but I'm not doing that, again. Outside of Knipex pliers, the last several thousand dollars worth of stuff I have bought has been US made - the vast majority being SK or Wright. I already buy American, and will continue to do so, but more along the lines of when I need to or can, rather than when the days are right.

And sorry to folks who are offended by my mindset or who want to tell me to RTFM, but those are my thoughts (i.e. if there is a promo, yes, otherwise, no), which aren't an option up there.

 

[shamrock12]

For clarification, would there be any promos with this, or just another "buy this brand from this vendor just because" day? I waited about 6 months to buy some Wright stuff from HJE, and I'm sorry, but I'm not doing that, again. Outside of Knipex pliers, the last several thousand dollars worth of stuff I have bought has been US made - the vast majority being SK or Wright. I already buy American, and will continue to do so, but more along the lines of when I need to or can, rather than when the days are right.

And sorry to folks who are offended by my mindset or who want to tell me to RTFM, but those are my thoughts (i.e. if there is a promo, yes, otherwise, no), which aren't an option up there.

It would be up to the vendor, which in this case would be Harry J. Epstein, and the selected manufacturer (which is yet to be determined) to come up with some promotions, only if they want to. Since this thread is still pretty young, I do not think it is possible for anyone to create and offer some promotions without first knowing which manufacturer we would like to deal with.

Given the past history of SK and Wright, I would have to believe there to be a good chance they will have something to offer for us again; however, that is just my guess at this point. I would suggest us to continue with the first step of this process and see which manufacturer our bandwidth is leaning toward and go from there.

As most of us know, Epstein's Day is mainly about supporting HJE so discounts/goodies are not to be expected, but they seem to always find a way to show their appreciation with something for us. However, when we have a special day that focused solely on an USA manufacturer, there usually are some promotions thrown in to get the ball rolling and get everyone amped up.

 

[Brownsfan]

I would love a Wright day. Smaller less known manufacturer very close to my home town. I would love to support a local company dedicated to keeping jobs in the USA and making quality tools in the process. I have bought a few things from Wright and SK in the past year from a local tool supplier. I have a few things on my wish list from both.

 

[NoahG]

I'd actually want to do Wilde again, as much as I want to "Do the Wright Thing". I have ordered Wright and SK my past few Epsteins orders, but there are still many Wilde options I'm looking for a "reason" to buy. I bought a center punch from Wilde last time and its been the toughest one I've ever used, really want a reason to buy more punches.

 

[Skin]

For clarification, would there be any promos with this, or just another "buy this brand from this vendor just because" day? I waited about 6 months to buy some Wright stuff from HJE, and I'm sorry, but I'm not doing that, again. Outside of Knipex pliers, the last several thousand dollars worth of stuff I have bought has been US made - the vast majority being SK or Wright. I already buy American, and will continue to do so, but more along the lines of when I need to or can, rather than when the days are right.

And sorry to folks who are offended by my mindset or who want to tell me to RTFM, but those are my thoughts (i.e. if there is a promo, yes, otherwise, no), which aren't an option up there.

If you want lowest prices on the internet you wont be interested. HJE cant compete with Amazon/Tooltopia/Ebay. Last year the first couple hundred orders got gloves and a t-shirt. Prices were lowered but not so far so that you'd impulse buy compared to every day prices from places I already mentioned.

 

[67King]

If you want lowest prices on the internet you wont be interested. HJE cant compete with Amazon/Tooltopia/Ebay. Last year the first couple hundred orders got gloves and a t-shirt. Prices were lowered but not so far so that you'd impulse buy compared to every day prices from places I already mentioned.

FWIW, I have bought from HJE both on and off of their day. That's a bit non-sequitur to my point. I tend to buy stuff when I need it, but I waited to participate in the HJE day. We already have one, what is going to compel people to do another? And would it cannibalize sales from the July 4th one? Like I said, I just shared my opinion. Since, you know, that was the whole point of the OP.

 

[rice rocket]

If you want lowest prices on the internet you wont be interested. HJE cant compete with Amazon/Tooltopia/Ebay. Last year the first couple hundred orders got gloves and a t-shirt. Prices were lowered but not so far so that you'd impulse buy compared to every day prices from places I already mentioned.

Didn't they say during last SK Day, that the volume we created for them immediately jumped them from an entry level into a VERY favorable pricing tier (top x% of retailers or something)??

Not to be overly entitled, but they should pass some of that savings onto us, no?

edit: here's the response from Jori:

So there are just a handful of companies that get "top-tier" pricing from SK. Typically, if we were going to get into a tool line like this, it might've taken 10 to 15 years of us slowly building up our sales to qualify for the best price bracket. What this event enabled us to do was to immediately step into the very best price SK has to offer, and we did it in just under a month! That's pretty huge for us, as we are now one of a handful of major SK distributors, and it's pretty huge for SK, as they now have a loyal distributor that is focused on supporting US tool companies.

It is unheard of for a company in our industry to make that rapid a move. I think last year we did maybe $3,000 with SK, and then just a few days ago we did $45,000 in one day. That's a huge boost for them, seemingly out of nowhere. Pretty remarkable.

Jori
HJE

Anyways, back to the topic at hand. I'd want to see a Wright Day before an SK Day, I've been pretty unimpressed with the SK items I've ordered in the past 6 months (including those items that came from the SK Day).

In contrast, every Wright post I've seen has been glowing reviews, I'd be interested in getting some in my toolbox to try for myself.

 

[shamrock12]

It's been two days now and so far it look like the majority are in favor of having another SK day; however, it seems the favor for Wright Day is gaining just a bit more ground now. I think it would be appropriate to give this discussion a little more time to see if we can muster some more feedback. Let's keep them coming.

 

[shamrock12]

Bumping ...

 

[2ndGearRubber]

If you want lowest prices on the internet you wont be interested. HJE cant compete with Amazon/Tooltopia/Ebay. Last year the first couple hundred orders got gloves and a t-shirt. Prices were lowered but not so far so that you'd impulse buy compared to every day prices from places I already mentioned.

FWIW: HJE is usually damn close to any other vender. Couple bucks here or there, the only kicker is no free shipping. Knipex, GP, SK, Wright, Armstrong, they are very competitive.

That is really the only thing amazon/tooltopia have over HJE (I order a ton from both). In my mind, I live with (directly) paying for shipping, in exchange for great customer service. And I HATE paying shipping.

 

[Askme42]

FWIW: HJE is usually damn close to any other vender. Couple bucks here or there, the only kicker is no free shipping. Knipex, GP, SK, Wright, Armstrong, they are very competitive.

That is really the only thing amazon/tooltopia have over HJE (I order a ton from both). In my mind, I live with (directly) paying for shipping, in exchange for great customer service. And I HATE paying shipping.

I look at it this way. They use ups or USPS. I'm supporting another well paid American worker by paying shipping.

 

[jakemac]

I look at it this way. They use ups or USPS. I'm supporting another well paid American worker by paying shipping.

That happens whether shipping is free or not.
When was the last time you saw a shipping company from China or Mexico delivering packages to your door ?

 

[Askme42]

That happens whether shipping is free or not.
When was the last time you saw a shipping company from China or Mexico delivering packages to your door ?

FedEx workers are paid about the same.

 

[sonvolt]

FWIW: HJE is usually damn close to any other vender. Couple bucks here or there, the only kicker is no free shipping. Knipex, GP, SK, Wright, Armstrong, they are very competitive.

That is really the only thing amazon/tooltopia have over HJE (I order a ton from both). In my mind, I live with (directly) paying for shipping, in exchange for great customer service. And I HATE paying shipping.

I've used both HJE and Tooltopia and HJE takes the cake, the shipping is a little more but excellent customer service.

 

[Zeroek]

Hoping for an SK day. WAnt to get a big 1/4' set.

 

[firworks]

If we did have a Wright day soon I've got a good sized order for them. I need a Wright 915 to match my Wright 958's, and I want to get a set each of their SAE and Metric deep 1/4 sockets.

 

[McFarmer]

I would like to move on to another manufacturer.

I have no specific suggestions however.

 

[redwrench60]

If you want lowest prices on the internet you wont be interested. HJE cant compete with Amazon/Tooltopia/Ebay. Last year the first couple hundred orders got gloves and a t-shirt. Prices were lowered but not so far so that you'd impulse buy compared to every day prices from places I already mentioned.

This isn't always the case, HJE may be narrowing the gap on some things. I just put together a small Wright order not related to the Epsteins day event (which I also participated in) and for giggles I loaded carts on HJE's and Amazon and my five items at Epstein's were $161.80 shipped. The same items on Amazon were $187.** shipped. There were a couple less common items in the mix which hurt Amazon but in the end Epsteins was cheaper in this case.