3 Popular Tool Brands Owned By Stanley Black & Decker

Stanley Black & Decker combines two household names into the world's leading tool corporation. The iconic brands merged in 2010, combining Stanley's construction DIY legacy and Black & Decker's dominance in the power tool industry. Both companies already owned a number of popular tool brands, including DeWalt, Craftsman, and — of course — Stanley itself.

Originally founded in 1843, Stanley originated as a small shop that sold bolts and hinges. Just over 100 years later, after decades of refinement, the tool brand released the first retractable tape measure. Today, Stanley sells over 40 million of them each year, which is enough to circle the globe five times over. But they aren't the only popular tools bearing the Stanley logo. The company sells over 600 different essential tools needed for home DIYs, with dozens of hand saws, chisels, pliers, and utility knives to choose from. Some of these also bear the name FATMAX, a Stanley product line sold exclusively at Home Depot.

Stanley experienced a devastating cycle of domestic manufacturing plant closures in favor of offshoring its operations in recent years. However, in August 2026, Stanley Black & Decker announced a $1 billion investment in United States research and development, manufacturing, and skill trades expansion plans. The popular tool brand has seen explosive sales growth in recent years — although some attribute that to the must-have Stanley Quencher cups rather than the hand or power tools themselves.

Stanley Black & Decker's DeWalt brand recently celebrated its 100th Anniversary. Raymond DeWalt founded the eponymous brand in 1924 shortly after filing a patent for a woodworking machine, which was quickly embraced by construction professionals. Within decades of being introduced, the popular tool brand experienced tremendous growth, leaning equally into wartime manufacturing opportunities and training for skilled tradespeople.

Black & Decker acquired DeWalt in 1960. The parent company introduced the first cordless power tool a year later, championing technological advancements that would spur DeWalt power tool innovations in the decades that followed. In 1992, DeWalt targeted residential contractors and professional woodworkers with its first cordless power tools, which included drills, drivers, saws, and impact wrenches.

While the cordless vs. corded tool debate continues to rage on, there's no doubt that DeWalt absolutely dominates today's power tool market. The company makes nearly 2,600 different types of power tools, and while most of them are made overseas, the popular tool brand has recognized the preference of its many consumers to purchase domestically-manufactured products. In 2013, the company announced it was bringing cordless tool production to the Carolinas. "Our users are professional contractors and builders themselves," DeWalt President Frank Mannarino said in a press release announcing the popular tool brand's new facility. "When given the option, most prefer to spend their money on a product that is built in the USA because it's in line with what they do on a daily basis—building America."

It's easy to spot Craftsman tools thanks to their distinctive cherry red color. This popular brand has a slightly different origin story, and despite being one of the most recognizable names in the Stanley Black & Decker lineup, reviews are decidedly mixed. The Craftsman trademark was registered in 1927 by Sears, a little-known fact that's been scrubbed from both the Craftsman and Sears websites today. After licensing the name from the Marion-Craftsman Tool Company, those at Sears got rid of clumsy and cheap products after recognizing strong consumer demand for higher quality tools.

Several different companies would manufacture those tools for Sears in the decades that followed, which included electric drills in the 1920s, riding mowers by the 1950s, and its 100 millionth screwdriver in 1976. In fact, DeWalt is one of those manufacturing partners. Sears slid into bankruptcy as American retail changed rapidly, creating the opportunity for Stanley Black & Decker to acquire the Craftsman brand for $900 million in 2017.

Today, Craftsman sells everything from spark plugs and sump pumps to pressure washers and pole saws. Even its basic handsaw is considered to be a perfect gift for any homeowner. In recent years, though, the company has been plagued by automated manufacturing issues and frequent leadership changes. Despite this, Craftsman remains a popular tool brand not because of the quality or warranty, but for the nostalgia — and the fact that it's not so easily found at Sears anymore.