Originally Posted By: bubbatime
It's next to impossible to find made in USA Craftsman hand tools still in stores. Most stores have been gone over with a fine tooth comb looking for the USA stuff, which appears to be no longer made.
Since they are now selling Chinese tools at American prices, they should be avoided. You can get the same quality tools at Harbor Freight, Lowes, Home Depot, Napa for less.
If looking for sockets and wrenches, I would look at Napa Carlyle hand tools. They are some of the nicest non Snap On tools out there in my opinion.
Lowes is going downhill fast. It seems even the Taiwan made stuff are too expensive for them so they are getting them from China and India.
I notice they don't have the decent stubby wrenches anymore, they are replacing a lot of stuff with really horrible low grade stuff at the same price.
Napa Carlyle looks very decent. Made in Taiwan but thats not a real problem, they have some good US, Japanese and German steel foundries up and running.
They are starting to make more of their own branded tools of decent quality and are definitely approaching first world status, they are where Japan was in the 60's.
Making good stuff but the rest of the world had not caught on yet. When it does and the stigma is gone look for prices to go up dramatically.
SK is back in the game and making some really nice tools in the USA. Sears is going the way of the dodo which is a shame, some of that old Craftsman stuff was very good.
