Who Makes Craftsman's Socket Sets & Where Are They Manufactured?

Craftsman is a name that has long been equated with quality and durability. Even almost a century after the brand made its debut for Sears, Craftsman continues to rank highly among the market's major power tool manufacturers. The brand continues to make more than just powered gear too, with its hand tool sector rife with gear fit for the tool kit of any DIYer. That includes a full line of heavy duty socket sets that would come in handy in any home garage setup.

The first Craftsman branded sockets debuted in the Sears catalogue in the 1930s, and these tools have been a mainstay in the brand's lineup ever since. Over the years, the company has continued to build out its range of socket and ratchet sets, with nine pages of offerings available on its website as of this writing. Of course, the Craftsman tools being sold today are not the same as those that were on the market in days of yore, as Craftsman has completely changed ownership after a long run under the Sears banner.

Today, Craftsman is owned by Stanley Black & Decker, making that tool conglomerate the manufacturer of note for all of the brand's powered and non-powered tools, including its socket sets. Craftsman is one of more than a dozen tool brands owned by Stanley Black & Decker, alongside DeWalt, Stanley, Lenox and Bostitch. Just like those brands, the country of origin for Craftsman tools can vary dramatically.   

Historically, tools bearing the Craftsman name were proudly made in the USA, which was the case for several decades during the brand's exclusive days with Sears. At one point, Craftsman even boasted that all of its sockets and socket sets were made in America. Even still, the brand's move to non-U.S. production seemed inevitable as, like many other American companies, Craftsman sought to cut costs by making its products outside of U.S. borders. And yes, that eventually included the bulk of its socket set output.

Interestingly enough, with its 2017 acquisition of Craftsman, Stanley Black & Decker was initially looking to move as much manufacturing as possible back to the States. SB&D was even touting construction on a new production facility in Texas, where the tools were intended to be made. However, that facility is no longer in operation. While the Stanley faction has not yet moved production back to the U.S., some Craftsman tools and socket sets are at least being assembled here and hitting the market with the "Made in the USA with global materials" tag. 

However, it would seem that does not include most of Craftsman's sockets and socket sets, which are still largely made in overseas facilities. Per our own sleuthing on the Craftsman website, spec pages for the bulk of the brand's sockets and socket sets reveal that these items are almost exclusively manufactured at SB&D sites in either China or Taiwan before being imported into America for sale. At present, it's uncertain if SB&D and Craftsman have any serious plans to reduce the brand's production footprint in Asia.