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Sears Craftsman Antique Tools

In 1927, Arthur Barrows, head of the hardware department for Sears, bought the name "Craftsman" from Marion-Craftsman Tool Company, and the name became synonymous with Sears' highest quality tools. The earlier Sears tools, mainly hammers, wrenches and soft screwdrivers were heavy, clumsy and made of cheap cast iron, but by 1927, they were being rapidly replaced by Craftsman chrome-plated wrenches and sockets and high-impact screwdriver handles, many of which are rare and have become collector's items.

Woodworking Tools
- In the 1929 Sears catalog, the Craftsman line consisted mainly of woodworking items, such as planes, axes, bit braces and saws, although Sears offered a Craftsman tap and die set as well. Even into 1931, the Sears spring and summer catalog still primarily offered Craftsman woodworking tools.
Wrenches
- According to the Old Wood-Working Machines website, by 1931 Sears employee Tom Dunlap had refurbished the Craftsman line by adding fully polished wrenches that were reliable, easy to clean and good looking, causing sales to increase by 6 times that first year.
  
  The year 1931 saw the introduction of Craftsman's open-end wrenches called "Craftsman Vanadium Steel Wrenches." Two models of Craftsman tappet wrenches with nickel-plated heads were also introduced, as was the adjustable 8-inch vanadium and the two double-ended adjustable wrenches in sizes 6 and 8 inches. In 1933, Craftsman introduced angled-headed, boxed-end wrenches. By 1934, the Sears Craftsman line included box-end wrenches in four styles. These wrenches were made of chrome vanadium steel and coated with chromium plating. Polished chrome-plated crescent-style adjustable wrenches were added to the Craftsman line in 1934, in 4-, 6-, 8-, 10- and 12-inch sizes.
Pliers
- By 1931, Craftsman had also introduced a line of pliers that included angle-nose gripping pliers, button's pattern pliers, combination, diagonal cutting, electrician's, lineman's and long-nose pliers.
Socket Sets
- According to the article "Early Craftsman Tools and Their Makers," the Craftsman C-series style socket sets became available in Sears' 1933 spring and summer catalog. By 1934, four such sets were offered, including a 37-piece vanadium steel set, 22-piece "handy" set, 17-piece "fit-mor" set and an 11-piece midget set. These pieces are quite rare.
Additional Tools
- By 1931, Sears sold Craftsman ball-peen hammers, claw hammers, tin snips, micrometers, electric and hand drills, saws, hacksaws, chisels and miter saws. Craftsman offered a punch and chisel set as early as 1933.

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