SK Tools still made in USA?

[xa0s]

Hello, all.

This is my first post, so please bear with me.

A little bit of a background, my truck was about to "die" down and it forced me to revisit my desire to own a side business of legally flipping cars. Naturally that got me wanting to acquire USA made tools, especially those older durable tools. I came across a museum site alloy-artifacts dot org and it's so engrossing to read those historical contents of the tool company.

I somehow stubble across Project Farm and I was blown away by the presentation on those ratcheting wrenches. I was immensely impressed by the SK Tools' X-Frame wrenches.

I did my homework on that company only to discover they do (still?) have manufacturing of those tools down south in Colorado Springs. What puzzles me was reading some of those posts on the SK Tools in here that it was being manufactured in the midwest (Ohio, I think).

I discovered it was bought out by some asian company back in 2021.

With that said, are the SK Tools still being manufactured out here in the States?

Thanks, everyone!
L-

PS I really dig this site!

 

[Jtels85]

They're now made in Chy-na

 

[woody 73]

Sadly, they were bought out by a Chinese company, I think great star, I don't think made in the USA anymore, but I could wrong about this.

 

[woody 73]

I think most of them are going the way of the dodo bird.

 

[Davefr]

Ideal tried to make a go with SK tools in the USA but floundered. Ideal dumped SK to Great Star in China about two years ago. Great Star was rumored to manufacture some SK in the USA but it appears they threw in the towel. I believe SK is now just a rebranded Duratech Chinese tool. There may be some old USA SK left in the channel. As far as I'm concerned SK is dead.

 

[RTM]

Here is part of the story

What's going on with SK Tools these days?

I see their new website is up (the search function is awful), but now they are showing "Sold Out" on nearly every item there. Wonder if they let the current stock run out as they are planning to start producing tools elsewhere?

www.garagejournal.com

Whats going on with sk tools.?

I know sk tools got bought buy an Asian company and they say they are staying in the US but just wonder if any of you knew anything I didn't. I'm trying to build basic sets of all the US made tool companies (still in business) and sk is the last on my list but wondering if I should even bother......

www.garagejournal.com

Are all SK sockets made in the USA?

When looking for used SK sockets, I'm wondering if I have to look for anything in particular if I want to only buy American made ones. Were they ever made anywhere else? Is there anything else to keep in mind when buying used SK sockets, as far as quality goes? Thanks in advance.

www.garagejournal.com

Newer SK adjustable wrenches USA made?

I recently bought one of these from Amazon and when it arrived noticed there’s no USA markings. Not a big deal but now I’m just curious, are there now non-USA made SK?

www.garagejournal.com

Current situation with SK

What is the current situation with SK? Are they still behind on tool production? I am looking to place a rather big order..

www.garagejournal.com

I’m sure there are more threads on the topic, but I’ve got other things to do this week.

 

[scooby074]

Sk as it used to be is dead as a dodo. There is still some slight hope for domestic manufacturing but its fading fast

 

[Chrome Vanadium Cody]

Have heard a lot of conflicting information. FWIW I got an email from Palmac Tools this week saying SK was beginning to stock US distributors again. All the newly added SK items on the Palmac website are listed as made in USA.

 

[qqzj]

I recently got a warranty replacement. Still made in USA

 

[Lt CHEG]

Any SK purchases from me are on hold until we get a better idea of whether or not US manufacturing of some items will continue. I will not purchase any SK tools that aren’t made in the USA.

 

[908Jim]

SK apparently now has two lines of tools. SK Professional "Black Label" are made in China and you can find them all over Amazon. Many of these items are literally identical to Duratech tools with different color schemes. A set of Sockets is probably $30-$50 and competes directly with Gear Wrench and Tekton. I ordered (and returned) a set of them and the quality is pretty good and I'd recommend them if you were in the market for high quality imports at that price point.

Allegedly, SK has SK Industrial "White Label" which are supposed to be the USA made tools, presumably the resumption of the US manufactured tools or remaining old stock. To date, I have yet to see anything new from them being sold. It seems like all the Import stuff is being sold through Amazon and everything left on their website are old stock Ideal tools.

 

[Rinspeed]

Sore subject.

 

[GrantCee]

Forget SK. They're a lost cause.

Look instead at Wright Tool:

Premium wrenches, ratchets, sockets and attachments | Made in the USA | Wright Tool

Wright forges the most proven and highest quality wrenches, ratchets, sockets and attachments.

www.wrighttool.com

 

[sparky 1971]

Two weeks ago I bought the SK LP90 24", 1/2" drive, fixed head ratchet from Zoro. It is made in the USA, but for all I know, it's old stock. That being said, it's the 6th LP90 I've bought, and the 2nd 1/2" drive. This one has the best mechanism of the bunch out of the box. The others needed oil, and some needed the spring trimmed to work right. I've done nothing to this one and it's flawless. That makes me think that it's new and the new ownership has a much better QC department than from the Ideal days.

 

[lardy1]

I bought a 1/2" drive LP90 towards the end of Ideal ownership and it's a gem. The best of the three that I have.

 

[ecotec]

There has been no evidence, whatsoever, that SK is producing any product of any kind in the USA right now.

 

[u118224]

I recently received an impact swivel warranty replacement, and it was made in China.

 

[BrandonV]

Recent order from the website, screwdriver set & pliers have all been USA but I assume old stock at this point as others have pointed out.

 

[Fly YX]

Have not bought anything. SK recently. If you want a good US brand, I would go Wright tool. And I have a set of the X frames when they first came out. I still have them, but we’re always kind of disappointed. A few of them locked up out of the box. They sent me a replacement right away, this is probably one of the tools that I definitely recommend Snap On if you are going to use them constantly. I have different brands and use them as well but if you don’t want the hassle of warranty in them throw them away when they break and get another one. I got the metric set and standard set in Milwaukee for $70 each when they had a deal of the day on them. Use them in my road box at work.

 

[Chrome Vanadium Cody]

To follow up, I just ran into this snippet from another one of their distributors:

Hmm. Have heard 0 from SK. We were one of their largest distributors and reached out multiple times and never got a phone call back. After that press release that made it sound like they were going to leverage the manufacturing ability of Great Star's, I all but gave up, but after seeing that made in china wrench I think we're done. I do know that most of their US socket production has been coming out of Wright Tool. So I'm not sure if the plant in Pennsylvania is actually making anything at this point.

Would be interested to hear if anyone who has received a new USA SK socket recently can notice any similarities to current Wright sockets.

 

[chris5790]

I just bought a set of stubby wrenches and look at the 12mm and 14mm…

 

[chris5790]

On Zoro the COO is changed to China on these but not on the regular wrenches. I bought theses on Amazon but I think shipped from Zoro. Zoro COO isn’t always accurate but it’s interesting because if you look around certain products like the regular wrench sets are showing up in stock again at retailers listed as USA made. Other tools like this one the COO is just quietly changed. The rest of the wrenches were all stamped USA. Do you guys think that was a mistake or actually China wrenches? If you look the stamping is slightly different as well. The “S” is taller on the non USA stamped..

 

[chris5790]

I have also seen impact socket sets pop up on eBay that are made in China

 

[AA/FC]

Who?









lol

 

[BrandonV]

On Zoro the COO is changed to China on these but not on the regular wrenches. I bought theses on Amazon but I think shipped from Zoro. Zoro COO isn’t always accurate but it’s interesting because if you look around certain products like the regular wrench sets are showing up in stock again at retailers listed as USA made. Other tools like this one the COO is just quietly changed. The rest of the wrenches were all stamped USA. Do you guys think that was a mistake or actually China wrenches? If you look the stamping is slightly different as well. The “S” is taller on the non USA stamped..

It would not surprise me if they're mixing stock.

When I bought my last set of screwdrivers (direct from the S-K website) there was a small paper insert that came with the set which said the COO on the package might not reflect what was inside.

 

[drtyler]

I just bought a set of stubby wrenches and look at the 12mm and 14mm…

Congratulations, you have mostly old stock USA made wrenches along with two new Chinese wrenches.

There is very little reason to patronize SK/Great Star at this point. If you want a USA sockets, buy from Wright since they are producing the SK sockets now.

 

[bonneyman]

I've been scrounging existing SK stocks from wherever I can get them. Pawn shops, estate sales, discount brokers, classifieds, etc). Managed to put together three 3/8" sockets sets and accessories, some socket boxes, plus a pair of ratchet's from Epstein's.

 

[BrandonV]

Picture of the insert in the latest S-K tools purchase I made from them directly.

https://imgur.com/ZO8Ajkg

 

[bobg03]

I like SK have a bunch of older stuff and I like the USA made things too, but if'n y'all look around all y'alls houses I bet 90+% is imported.

Have y'all heard the rumor that Snap-On is going overseas too?

 

[Toyo72]

I bought a few individual wrenches and impact sockets recently from SK directly. The metric combo wrenches were USA. The impact sockets were a mix - some USA some not. The style was completely different as well, broaching was different, and of course etching, etc. That's it for me, sadly. I have a bunch of my Dad's vintage SK tools, but it is no longer the same company.

 

[InjectorService]

I don't know what SK was thinking. They could have made a run for it but they just weren't putting out product. Everyone waited for those ratchets for a lifetime. Most people got tired and bought something else. Same with the X-Frames.

Sorry, the market just isn't there for clunky 36t round head ratchets anymore.

Had they changed with the times, I think it would have been a different story.

 

[chris5790]

Congratulations, you have mostly old stock USA made wrenches along with two new Chinese wrenches.

There is very little reason to patronize SK/Great Star at this point. If you want a USA sockets, buy from Wright since they are producing the SK sockets now.

Im not. If they continue a professional line I would still buy them. I just thought people would be interested since it is such an unclear topic about the supposed usa line

 

[ohhimark]

To follow up, I just ran into this snippet from another one of their distributors:



Would be interested to hear if anyone who has received a new USA SK socket recently can notice any similarities to current Wright sockets.

warrantied a deep socket earlier this year, they sent a new US made socket, it looked the same as they usually do.

 

[bimmer630]

Part of their failure under ideal, IMO, was a bunch of tool innovations that nobody asked for.
Flex zone impact sockets … huh what?
DT ratchet kits in the old round head ratchets, that offered more tooth count, but at the same time MORE backdrag than the original ratchets?
DT 1/4” bit drivers, advertised for “tight quarters, under dash use” (I’m paraphrasing) which would be more clunky to use with their increased backdrag than any competing 1/4” bit ratchet out there by vim or ez red etc?
X frame ratchet wrenches? “Our wrenches can ratchet with only a hair thickness of turning radius! And the x frame design makes them stronger than a conventional combo wrench!” … “oh … flex heads?… yeah we don’t have those….”

Everything I saw these guys come out with just made me shake my head and when they sold it to greatstar I wasn’t surprised at all.

Now I have a garage full of good USA made SK sockets and ratchets, that I’m scared to ever break, because most of what they’ll send me back will be made of chinesium, lol

 

[hasco]

"Now I have a garage full of good USA made SK sockets and ratchets, that I’m scared to ever break, because most of what they’ll send me back will be made of chinesium, lol"

Same for me . Craftsman for several years too.

 

[lardy1]

I've never broke an SK socket, ratchet or wrench. I'm not real concerned about the warranty. Still a crying shame to see what has happened to them.

 

[wantacoe]

I bought some of SK tools from the factory in Sycamore IL when they closed a couple years ago. At that time I was told they were shipping a lot of the equipment to a place in Pennsylvania. I don't know if it was a competing company or new owners of SK. I have some listed for sale in the classified section.

 

[M635_Guy]

Part of their failure under ideal, IMO, was a bunch of tool innovations that nobody asked for.
Flex zone impact sockets … huh what?
DT ratchet kits in the old round head ratchets, that offered more tooth count, but at the same time MORE backdrag than the original ratchets?
DT 1/4” bit drivers, advertised for “tight quarters, under dash use” (I’m paraphrasing) which would be more clunky to use with their increased backdrag than any competing 1/4” bit ratchet out there by vim or ez red etc?
X frame ratchet wrenches? “Our wrenches can ratchet with only a hair thickness of turning radius! And the x frame design makes them stronger than a conventional combo wrench!” … “oh … flex heads?… yeah we don’t have those….”

I don't know about the rest, but I have a set of XFrames and love them. Flex head does seem like a miss, but I'm guessing it has something to do with the fact there was a patent on the integrated reversible mechanism for a the box end they'd have to license (my understanding anyway - could be wrong. It does seem like all the reversible ones come from Taiwan, at least historically).

Now I have a garage full of good USA made SK sockets and ratchets, that I’m scared to ever break, because most of what they’ll send me back will be made of chinesium, lol

??

I've never broke an SK socket, ratchet or wrench. I'm not real concerned about the warranty. Still a crying shame to see what has happened to them.

Yeah - I'm not worried about any of my SK stuff breaking.

 

[bonneyman]

Yeah - I'm not worried about any of my SK stuff breaking.

X2
I've been wrenching on my original SK sockets since 1980. Never broke any.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Thinking I will be holding off on any hopes of many newly produced in USA SK Tools, and patiently wait at the ticket booth for a upcoming John Wayne Movie.