Craftsman (tools)

Craftsman is a line of tools, lawn and garden equipment, and work wear. Originally a house brand established by Sears, the brand is now owned by Stanley Black & Decker. As with all Sears products, Craftsman tools were not manufactured by Sears during the company's ownership, but made under contract by various other companies. While Sears did not directly manufacture tools and equipment in most cases, they did have ownership in some of their suppliers. An example of this was the joint venture that they established with Western Forge in 1965 and their partial ownership of Roper for a number of years. Both companies supplied products to Sears for many years. They were first sold in 1927 through the Sears catalog and in Sears retail stores. After the Sears–Kmart merger, the tools were also for sale in Kmart stores and through several other retailers. In March 2017, Stanley Black & Decker acquired the Craftsman brand from Sears Holdings, which retained a limited license for Craftsman products.