Several readers wrote to suggest some more American makers to add to my recently-posted lists:
Alvord-Polk Tool – Aircraft quality reamers.
Brubaker Tool, Division of Dauphin Precision Tool, LLC – Mills, taps and drills.
Ames Corporation is the parent company for several brand names that make all American-made tools. These include:
- Ames tools – A variety of hand tools, hoses, wheelbarrows, etc.
- True Temper – Gardening, farming, landscaping, and snow removal tools
- Jackson Professional Tools (best known for their wheelbarrows.)
- Razor-Back Professional Tools – Shovels, rakes, hoes, hay and spading forks, digging bars, turf edgers, etc.
- Union Tools – Shovels, post hole diggers, rakes, hoes, hay and spading forks, digging bars, etc.
- Hound Dog tools – Augers, tillers, aerators, cultivators, etc.
Miller Electric (a sister company to Hobart Brothers.) – Engine Drive welder/generators. Made in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Quincy Compressors – Air compressors. Made in Quincy, Illinois.
Hypertherm – Plasma cutters.
Torchmate – CNC plasma cutting machines. (Part of Lincoln Electric Cutting Systems.)
Ventamatic – MAXX brand fans. Made in Mineral Wells, Texas.
Liberty water pumps – Electric transfer pumps (for use with garden hoses), sump pumps, macerator pumps, etc.
Bark River Knife and Tool – Mostly hunting, utility and filleting knives. Made in Michigan’s U.P.
William Henry – Top quality pocket knives. Made in McMinnville, Oregon. (While they are a bit “spendy”, they source all of their parts from suppliers in the States. For instance, their high end Damascus steel is forged in Alabama.)
Queen Cutlery/Shatt & Morgan – Quality and made pocket, hunting and other knives. Made in Titusville, Pennsylvania.
Rada Cutlery – Utilitarian knives at very reasonable prices. (Making it easy to stock up). They make kitchen knives and utensils, as well as stone bakeware. Made in Iowa.
Reader E.M. wrote to lament that a lot of fishing tackle is now made in China, but that one American company he does recommend is X Factor Tackle.
And Reader J.K. wrote this pitiful news: “As a former employee of Stanley Black and Decker in Towson, Maryland, I’m sorry to say that a vast majority of DeWalt (and other SB&D brands) tools currently produced by the company are actually made in China. While the current generation on the market are wonderful and durable tools, they are not made here any more. The only American assembled tools I handled there as a test technician were engineering prototypes. About the only thing SB&D does in America now for its various branded power tools is production lot sample testing for life limits and safety regulation compliance. Unfortunately, as I understand it all manufacturing will probably end up in China as a part of their ‘Design to Value’ campaign.”