“We are pleased to complete the purchase of the Craftsman Brand, a legendary American brand with tremendous consumer awareness built on a legacy of providing reliable products at a good value and standing behind them,” says James M. Loree, Stanley Black & Decker’s president and chief executive officer.

Immediately upon acquisition, Stanley Black & Decker intended to begin broadening Craftsman’s product availability to its customers but announced that the process “would take some time.” To that end, “our efforts are now focused on supply chain activities to initially support sales into non-Sears Holding channels,” Loree says. “We are developing commercial strategies for the brand and remain very excited about the potential growth opportunities. We continue to see a clear path towards annual growth of approximately $100 million a year for the next decade.”

For loyal and long-time Craftsman customers, this change of ownership surely brings questions to mind. To that end, a March 9 news release from Stanley Black & Decker has provided a number of answers that eZine readers might find helpful to know. For your convenience, we offer a sampling of them here:

Will Sears continue to sell Craftsman products, and will the Craftsman warranty remain the same?

Stanley reports that Sears will continue sourcing, marketing and selling Craftsman-branded products in their stores, independently from Stanley Black & Decker. Further, Craftsman branded products will continue to be covered under their existing warranties.

Why did Stanley Black & Decker purchase Craftsman?

 Stanley Black & Decker believes Craftsman’s rich history, high consumer awareness and loyal following adds to Stanley Black & Decker’s breadth of brands and can provide even more solutions to customers. The company also intends to “bring innovation and investment back to Craftsman, making it stronger than ever before.”

Will Craftsman’s product line remain the same?

Stanley Black & Decker reports that while it will remain focused on cost, quality and delivery of solutions to customers at the highest standards, “we are confident that there is an opportunity to build upon Craftsman’s heritage as an iconic American brand that stands for high quality, value-oriented products.”

Will Craftsman products be manufactured in the United States?

Stanley Black & Decker intends to localize as much manufacturing as possible, focusing on U.S. manufacturing with global materials, with the confidence that this will help to grow the Craftsman brand. “There’s a lot of excitement and positive energy around our stated intention of bringing manufacturing for the Craftsman Brand back to the United States,” Loree stated recently to investors. “Our plans for a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility are starting to take shape.”

Learn more about Stanley Black & Decker’s purchase of Craftsman by clicking here.

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Tool: Triton TTS 1400 Track Saw

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The Pet Bed Kit is a simpler design but mirrors the functionality of the larger kits. The bed frame is a one-piece steel rectangle with mounting tabs to attach it to the base. Its piston lift mechanisms and fold-out support bar resemble those found in the larger kits. A firm, plush cushion, sized to the frame, is included for the pet to sleep on.

Beyond functionality as a fold-down bed, these Murphy Bed Hardware Kits allow DIYers to construct a cabinet for the bed that will complement the décor of the room when the bed is folded away. To aid in construction, free downloadable plans are available by clicking here. You’ll also see a variety of completed Murphy Bed projects by Rockler customers to further expand your design ideas.

Rockler’s new I-Semble Murphy Bed Hardware with Mattress Platform Kits start at $324.99. The I-Semble Pet Murphy Bed Kit is priced at $129.99.

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“Scroll Saw Pictures: An Illustrated Guide to Creating Scroll Saw Art” (ISBN13: 9780764352928) is 64 pages, soft cover. New from Schiffer Publishing this month, it sells for $14.99.

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Tim Inman: It all depends. Will the knives be for show only? Will they be for outdoor use? Will they be for kitchen use? Will an unappreciative owner run them through the dishwasher? It depends. For beauty and feel, traditional exotics like rosewood and its ilk would be my first choice. These woods are naturally hard, polish beautifully and are oily enough they really don’t need anything for finish other than maybe a little oil or wax from time to time. Hard-used kitchen knives have been made with unfinished hickory handles for generations. Not pretty, but durable as can be — and tolerant of abuse. Modern woods, which have been impregnated with epoxy, are available, or you can make up your own if you have a vacuum system handy. These materials are durable and tolerate wet abuse better. As for finishes, the film formers like polyurethane and lacquers and varnishes would be my very last choice. They will ultimately fail and flake off. Oils and waxes would be my best recommendation. They are fugitive but can be replaced easily.

Chris Marshall: We’ve owned a set of general-purpose kitchen and steak knives that have gotten regular use for 25 years. They have unfinished walnut handles that have stood the test of time very well with no special care – other than keeping them out of the dishwasher and dry between uses. I’d go with a hardwood for handle material, but within that context, your species options are wide open.

I’m sure our eZine readers will have suggestions to share for the handle woods and finishes they prefer.

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– Ben

See the Gallery Below:

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“As a Cajun woodworker who loves to cook (and you can’t love to cook without loving to enjoy the cookin’), I find that 10,000 steps just aren’t enough. Maybe 10,000 before lunch and another 10,000 in the afternoon would be more like it. My office/ breakroom is upstairs above my barn shop, and those 18 stairs are climbed many times each day. I also walk back and forth from the house to the barn numerous times daily (about 200 feet each way), and in the evening I still find time to spend 30 minutes on my elliptical trainer upstairs. It still is a battle to keep the pounds away at [age] 69. Well, gotta go start cooking the gumbo and jambalaya…” – Greg Little

“You better listen to that observer.  Also, I recommend reading the book Live Long, Die Short by Dr. Roger Landry.  It is all about keeping moving, and enjoying the time we have left on this earth. Take a break from woodworking and read it: I dare you.” – James Yarbrough

“10,000 steps will definitely improve your overall condition and is worthwhile for that reason (a midlife heart attack is no fun). However, exercise below the serious athlete level generally has little impact on weight. A resting human burns about 100W; convert that to kilocalories and compare it to the additional energy used in the workout, or compare the latter to what you’re eating. For most people, deflating the spare tire really does require eating differently. I’ve done it once before; now I need to get serious about calorie counting and do it again. Weight Watchers or similar do work, if you stick with them; last time I was sustaining about a 2 pound/week loss.” – Joe Kesselman

“It sounds as if you are dealing with the question of ‘advancing age.’ I started considering that as ‘increasing chronological experience.’ So far, it has worked for me for 82 years, and I am going strong.” –  Charles E. Bradley, D.Ph.

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