My utmost thanks to Paul, a long-time reader of this blog as well as a contributor to our forum, who is a bona-fide expert in tools and was kind enough to write this article for NotoChina.org.
The times when almost all hand tools came from Germany or the USA are unfortunately far behind us. The well-known brands like Stanley, DeWalt, Craftsman, Bosch and Makita have moved their production of hand tools almost completely to China.
Even Snap-on has tools made in China. What tools of this brand still come from the USA is unclear since Snap-on does not share any information about this on their website. This brand is therefore not mentioned in the overviews below.
And then there are the huge number of budget brands that have emerged, the stores are full of them.
But, it is certainly not a completely lost market, not everything is outsourced to China. Certainly, the hardware stores are full of Chinese tools these days, and those are often the inferior tools that the average person will bring into their home for jobs around the house.
A more experienced handyman, however, will have a much greater need for accurate tools that will last a lifetime. For this you will still have to turn to the reputable (to the exclusion of the aforementioned) brands, the brands that previously only professionals had.
Keep in mind that even the reputable brands (sometimes) produce some of their tools in China, usually the budget models.
Hammers
The absolute best is the Estwing brand. Estwing produces axes, crowbars and other breaching tools. However, the main product is the hammer in all shapes and sizes.
The brand manufactures most of its products in the USA. There is also a budget line “Sure Strike” which is produced in Taiwan. Estwing’s website lists where each product is made, that’s how we like it!
My favorite is the Claw Hammer Leather, truly a top notch product, made in USA.
Other recommendations:
- Vaughan, made in USA
- PB Swiss Tools deathblow hammer/mallet, made in Switzerland
- Picard, made in Germany
- Stahwille, made in Germany
Best low-cost product:
- Estwing Sure Strike hammer, made in Taiwan
Handsaws
A good handsaw makes work so much lighter than a blunt Chinese saw.
Hand saws seem to be reasonably cheap and easy to produce which is most likely why production at the larger brands like Stanley, Bahco and Irwin has not moved entirely to China. Which is the case with many other hand tools of these three brands.
And fortunately due to that, there are a quite some choices, especially from the Bahco brand. Bahco provides top quality hand saws, made in Sweden.
Other recommendations:
Irwin, made in Denmark
Stanley, made in USA
Stanley also makes many hand saws in France.
Best low-cost product:
Truper, made in Mexico
Pliers
There are many brands that produce pliers outside of China. Especially in Europe and the US.
Of course, there are other brands that manufacture in China but there remain plenty of NMIC models to choose from. A pair of pliers should close neatly and the grip should be strong, exactly where the cheap Chinese models fail.
Number one in the list of pliers is the Knipex brand. Virtually everything Knipex makes (and that’s a lot) is manufactured in Europe and is top-notch, will last a lifetime.
Other recommendations:
Klein Tools, made in USA https://www.amazon.com/Klein-Tools-8002 … 08VWHVZ1P/
NWS, made in Germany https://www.amazon.com/Nws-Vde-180mm-Si … 000XDTWWQ/
Orbis, made in Germany https://www.amazon.com/141-1800-40RV-Co … B0778STBX4
Vampliers, made in Japan https://www.amazon.com/VAMPLIERS-Extrac … 01N24RSFM/
Best low-cost product:
Channellock, made in USA https://www.amazon.com/CHANNELLOCK-HD-1 … 00L2EGUE8/
Screwdrivers
As with pliers, there is also a large selection of screwdrivers from very good brands.
A good quality screwdriver will not bend and the tips are hardened to such an extent that the tip will not break and lasts a lifetime. The Chinese variants have a tip that is usually either too hard or too soft. They break or are worn out in no time. They also bend very quickly when used as a crowbar. Therefore, always go for a good quality set that is not manufactured in China. The prices are quite acceptable.
The number one choice is screwdrivers from Swiss company PB Swiss Tools. Lifetime warranty and each screwdriver has a serial number. Available in many designs and always Swiss made.
Other recommendations:
Stahlwille, made in Germany
Klein Tools, made in USA
Heyco, made in Germany
Facom, made in France
Channellock, made in USA
Wiha, made in Germany
Felo, made in Germany
Best low-cost product:
Wera, made in Czech Republic
Allen key sets
A tool that should not be missing from any tool kit.
And as with screwdrivers, the right hardness is very important here. After all, they need to withstand quite a torque and then should not bend or break. Also very important is the key size, which can be deviate in cheap sets and be too thin or too thick.
Number one in this section, as with the screwdrivers, is for the Swiss brand PB Swiss Tools. Especially the beautiful rainbow set is highly recommended.
Other recommendations:
Bondhus, made in USA
Stahlwille, made in Germany
Wise, made in Japan
Best low-cost product:
Elklind, made in USA
Wrench socket sets
This was one of the first types of hand tools produced in Asia. I remember my father had a set from Hong Kong in the 1980s.
Finding a set that is not from China is possible but you will have to dig deep for this.
Then again, you do buy such a set for life, you never have to replace it and you can pass it on to your children.
The best sets are from the brand Stahlwille, made in Germany.
Other recommendations:
Hazet, made in Germany
Gedore, made in Germany
Best low-cost product:
Tekton, made in Taiwan
Combination wrench set
There are a huge number of sets available on the market, unfortunately, as with many other products, this market appears to have been almost completely taken over by Chinese producers. Or European and American brands sold out to China. However, there are still a few top quality sets available that will last a lifetime and are not made in China.
The best wrenches are from the Stahlwille brand, the Stahlwille Open Box 13, made in Germany. The slim wrenches give you plenty of grip and room to move. The perfect wrench that has been unchanged for many years.
Other recommendations:
Heyco, made in Germany
Gedore, made in Germany
Best low-cost product:
Tekton, made in Taiwan
Measuring tools
Best tape measures
Stanley Fatmax, made in USA
Craftsman, made in USA
Grace USA, made in USA
Sola, made in UK
Best caliper
Mitutoyo, made in Japan
Best spirit levels
Empire, made in USA
Stabila, made in Germany
Sola, made in Austria
Something different but worth mentioning is the brand Jokari, they make all kinds of tools for electrical work such as stripping pliers and stripping knives. Made in Germany.
Another different one worth mentioning is Chapman’s master scewdriver set, available in several versions, made in USA.
There are still a lot of brands that make (some of their) tools outside of China. However, the search for the right one can be difficult.
If you have found any nice hand tools, please let us know in the comments.
- Tags:
- hammers
- pliers
- screwdrivers
- tools
I come from the land of PB Swiss Tools, a country that borders Germany. Hence, finding quality tools is fairly easy here.
I mostly agree with the selection above – except for the handsaws. I haven’t found a single saw that comes even close to the sharpness, precision and comfort that Japanese saws offer. Get any reasonably priced Dozuki & Ryoba set and live happily ever after.
In general, I found that you can’t go wrong with Japanese tools. The pride those tool smiths take in their craft is unmatched.