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Worse on Purpose

Stanley

American hand tools. The namesake of Stanley Black & Decker.

Status: Watchlist
Founded
1843
Website
stanleytools.com
HQ
USA
Manufacturing
USA,Mexico,China,Various
Ownership type
Conglomerate subsidiary
Parent
Stanley Black & Decker

Ownership

Core brand of Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK). Manufacturing largely offshored for consumer lines; FatMax and professional lines retain some US production.

Why Watchlist

Consumer-tier Stanley tools are generic commodity hardware. Some professional lines still hold up.

Sister brands under Stanley Black & Decker

See all 10 sister brands

Read the full investigation

Investigation · March 31, 2026

Your Power Tools Got Worse On Purpose

Two conglomerates bought American power tools in the 2000s. One built Milwaukee into the dominant cordless platform. The other spent $6B+ hollowing out Craftsman, Porter-Cable, and more. Plus the brands that refused to sell.

Read the full investigation

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