I recently came across Crick, a USA-based level manufacturer that I had never heard of before. At first glance their wood levels looked to resemble existing products from other brands – such as Johnson Level – but a closer look convinced me otherwise.
Crick offers a 3-piece and 5-piece levels, with the number referring to the number of wood layers used to construct the level bodies.
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They have both ready-made levels, available at Amazon, and also customized levels where you can tell them how you want your level built. Some of the options, add-ons, and upgrades come with an added fee.
Starting with the wood construction, you can choose between African Walnut and Beech for one set of alternating layers, and Maple, African Walnut, and Beech for the other layers.
Vials can be green or clear.
You can add rubber cushions, anti-fog lenses, magnets, and 45° vials.
There is also the option to engrave different parts of your level.
Crick says that their levels are strong and durable, and accurate to 0.015″ in the length of their levels. The 3-piece levels are available in 12″ to 50″ lengths, and the 5-piece levels in 8″ to 50″ lengths.
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It is not clear as to whether there are any functional differences between 3-piece and 5-piece levels, or if it’s just a matter of aesthetic preferences.
On their website, Crick describes how their levels are constructed:
- Hardened 16-gauge stainless steel binding and end caps
- Ring shank nails on the sides, black oxide screws on the end caps
- 2-piece hardened stainless steel vial clips
- 1/8″ thick vial lenses, sealed with silicone
- Wood is sealed with penetrating oil
- Vials guaranteed to 0.015″ accuracy along level length
They say that they designed the lenses for DIY replacements, and appear to sell them for $17.50 for 25-count. Crick also sells a level care kit for $27, including linseed oil, a hanging hook, 6 lenses, and 12 lens clips.
Crick levels are made in the USA.
Buy Now via Amazon
More Info via Crick
Have you ever heard about Crick Tool or their levels?
Looking around the web, most user reviews are very positive and optimistic, but there are also some very negative reviews on social media.
Crick Tool doesn’t seem to advertise or promote their products very much, and they give off a boutique “builders’ secret tool brand” kind of vibe.
A lot of woodworkers are eager to spend big bucks on customized wood tools, such as Blue Spruce’s squares and chisels, but do builders and other tradesmen feel the same way about wood levels?
Maps Bam
Wood was used when we had no better materials available. If you want to buy this for nostalgic purposes then I can understand. But why would anybody want to buy this to actually use it. Aluminum and plastic are much better materials for tools.
Koko The Talking Ape
Yeah, I don’t see the point. Wood can be stable, but it won’t be nearly as stable as synthetic materials.
Sebastian
i own 2 feet and 4 feet
25 yr + master carpenter
LOVE THEM
USED MANY OTHER LEVELS
BUT STILL LOVE THEM
Andy
I hear what you’re saying, and you’re absolutely right, But damn that thing is pretty. I’m about to buy 1 for that reason alone. Probably a bad choice, but what the heck.
Jared
I like the look too. Maybe a shorter one would be best to avoid warpage.
GEORGE MICHENER
couldn’t agree with you more. Way too pretty to actually use IMO. Real world applications/advantages elude me. Not trying to be TOO much of a smartarse, but,I guess its down to who are we tying to impress? And… making something level/plumb seems to be the way to impress people in the long run anyway
gene colley
These are great levels. There are several good companies in the US that make these types of levels. An inexpensive wood level is one solid piece. That allows for movement based on weather conditions. The 5-layer gives the most stability and no movement regardless of the humidity level. (no pun intended) An aluminum level has considerable movement in different temperatures. I have no idea on a plastic level. Can’t imagine using one. I still have my wooden level from when I was a trim carpenter years ago and it is just as accurate now as it was 40 years ago.
Mark
Masons use these types of levels because we use our hammers and the heals of the trowels to beat the blocks and bricks level and plumb. These levels will out perform cheap levels and will last longer than carpenter levels because of the abuse we put them through. Also we can send them back in for refurbishing for a price. The lenses break and so do the vials. They really do take care of there customers.
Adam
This is what I came here to say. I worked as a hoddy for a summer, and every good mason had crick levels, and explained exactly what you said. I’ve bought one or two short ones over the years here and there. Great tools.
Levi
I have to disagree. I wouldn’t call myself a brick mason, but my dad and grandpa were, and I pulled my fair share of summers putting in labor for the family business. I have to disagree because the feel and expectations are completely different. When you are putting bricks in the wall, you need something durable and nice to look at, with some weight to it that can help to push the brick down. This is because you start with more mortar than you need between the bricks to make them taller than you would think they should be, then knock them down level by hitting the base of your trowel against the level, squishing out the mortar which you then scrape off with the edge of the trowel and apply to the end of the next brick. And in a lifetime of looking at either a string or a level, you want a level that looks and feels like it would produce quality work, that is durable, isn’t going to break with repeated beatings on and around bubbles, isn’t going to bend or break, can handle being thrown in and out of toolboxes and tool bags, and is something you enjoy working with and looking at, made of materials that are easily restored in some way. We always oiled our level occasionally to get them looking good after a few months or years. In a lot of ways, the materials you mentioned are inferior in this regard, or lose in the battle of tradeoffs with a good quality wood level. But that is just my experience.
Mark
Yep!
George Murray
I would agree. 😊
john bard
You don’t know what you’re talking about. Wood levels are primarily used by masons. Mason’s, like myself, prefer wood levels because mortar doesn’t stick to them, they clean up great, and you can replace the vials if they get broken. Plastic is pure trash for levels of any kind. Aluminum is fine but mortar sticks bad and they’re noisy when you’re tapping considering they go on masonry units. The feel just isn’t right as the wood takes up tiny imperfections in the units and gives a more stable feel. A super hard and stiff aluminum level will rock on the tiniest imperfections in brick and block. Crick is a cheap knock off of the Smith, a level designed by a mason FOR MASONS. Cricks are face glued and come apart when they fall off a scaffold. Smith’s are where it’s at. They’re t&g joined and the original mason’s level that everyone copied. And now I’ve seen even more that have ripped off the look but are cheaper made too. Smith is still owned and operated by the Smith family. But go ahead and by some plastic junk from China.
Cody
I’m a journeyman bricklayer and I’ve used all kinds of levels. Every good mason uses a wooden level, they are more accurate and have a better recoil to them when your tapping bricks to be level. Aluminum and plastic don’t do what the natural wood cam do. Which in my opinion is a superior level
IronWood
I’ve seen a few older ones and they are very nicely made. I’ve only ever seen them used by a couple trim carpenter/cabinet guys. Seems like most everybody uses the ubiquitous Empire, Milwaukee, or Stabila around here. I have several Stabilas and love them. I’m sure the Crick levels work great and they sure look nice, but it’s a lot of money for what is basically a luxury. I’d love to have a set of Blue Spruce chisels, but my Two Cherries set is just fine, 1/4 the price, and does the same job just as well. All about where you want to spend your money.
fred
I have 2 Blue Spruce paring chisels ( PR125CBPH and PR625CBPH)
– and to be honest they are not worth the premium over the Robert Sorby – or even less expensive Narex paring chisels that I have. They perhaps hold their edge a bit longer – but at 3x the price of a Narex – they are not 3x better.
Like you most of my full-sized carving gouges are 2 Cherries – but I’m also fond of using smaller offerings from Flexcut
IronWood
Glad you said that, I can stop looking at them! Narex makes some nice tools and they’re a great value. A lot of the folks in the boatyards around here have Narex stuff. I got a couple old stock made in the USA Buck Bros paring chisels on clearance years ago and they’ve been really great. No frills and the ash handles are too bulky, but good steel and a screaming deal at like $10 each.
fred
We’ve kind of lost the tradition in the USA of making fine hand tools for Woodworking. If you pick up a vintage Buck Brothers (prior to their acquisition by Great Neck) or Stanley chisel – or an old Stanley bedrock plane – you can sense that quality and craftsmanship went into their production. Stanley tried to revive the tradition with their Sweetheart series – with more or less success. But its smaller makers like Lie-Nielsen (USA) and Veritas (Canada) that have brought quality back to commercial-production planes and chisels made in North America.
MM
I’m not familar with the brand but fine levels are also something outside my area of expertise. I am very wary though, and I echo the concerns of the posters above. Wood is a poor choice of material for a level. When there was no reasonable alternative, fine, we made do. But now there is no reason for a wood level as a functional tool.
Many years ago I helped my father install a TV wall mount. We were careful to double-check the mount was level using his old Jack brand brass-bound mahogany level–clearly a very expensive tool in its day. Then we hung the TV and it was obviously askew. The culprit? Age, humdity, and temperature changes warped the level and it no longer read true.
I’ll stick with aluminum.
Adam
Something that has been overlooked on these Crick levels is the 4 strips of steel that run the length of the level on each edge, the steel caps on each end, and the optional steel gusset plates that are available on the 48”. Wood is not the only material Crick relies on to keep their levels straight and true. A generous coating of Linseed oil annually would also prevent the wood from warping and keep the level’s accuracy from depreciating. This is true for all wood levels, even levels not bound in metal. I have an old Stanley level made back in the turn of the century that belonged to my grandfather. Wood with brass insets, this is the level I use to verify accuracy of all my other levels. It sets the standard for which all my other levels must achieve.
If you dont have access to another level to verify your levels accuracy you can just compare it to itself. Checking a levels accuracy would require taking a reading then turning the level (rotating the level right to left ) and/or flipping the level (swap top to bottom) after taking the initial reading. Aluminum, wood, plastic, regardless of the material used to manufacture the level, this simple check should be performed to verify accuracy on any level prior to use. Especially if the level has been stored for an extended period of time. I’d trust me eye any day of the week over a level that I have not personally verified.
I can tell you this, I have seen an aluminum Stabila level and a wood Crick level fall side by side, along with a few other items that fell off the pallet, from the end of a 50ft reach-lift straight to concrete. Id hate to see what would happen if a plastic level fell from that height… At the end of the day, the Crick was still in use with 2 of the 6 glass lenses needing replacement and the journeyman went home with a full days wages. The journeyman with the Stabila on the other hand went home with 20% of a days wages, for “show up” time, and his level was in the dumpster. Oh and I may have failed to mention the Stabila was also digital, $$$…
Crick levels are purpose built for the true professional that use it everyday. The journeyman that desires accuracy and strive to achieve perfection in their chosen craft. Those that know, choose Crick. That is why you do not see any advertisements for Crick everywhere or a big display at the end of an aisle at your local home improvement outlet. They dont have to advertise, their customer base has been long established.
Bottom line, when it comes to a material for making a level, wood is a bit more forgiving than aluminum, stronger than plastic, less likely to warp like plastic, and with proper care and maintenance it can last a lifetime, and then some.
Levi
This has been my experience as well. Highest quality, hands down the best choice for masonry work.
Scobey
This is a traditional brand within the masonry trade.
There may be a good reason many masons still prefer wood levels.
But I don’t know enough about masonry to say why.
I’ve used them but never owned one. Then again, I’m not a mason.
Levi
I replied to the top guy, but when you are putting bricks in the wall, you need something durable and nice to look at, with some weight to it that can help to push the brick down. This is because you start with more mortar than you need between the bricks to make them taller than you would think they should be, then knock them down level by hitting the base of your trowel against the level, squishing out the mortar which you then scrape off with the edge of the trowel and apply to the end of the next brick. And in a lifetime of looking at either a string or a level, you want a level that looks and feels like it would produce quality work, that is durable, isn’t going to break with repeated beatings on and around bubbles, isn’t going to bend or break, can handle being thrown in and out of toolboxes and tool bags, and is something you enjoy working with and looking at, made of materials that are easily restored in some way. We always oiled our level occasionally to get them looking good after a few months or years. In a lot of ways, metals or plastics lose in the battle of tradeoffs with a good quality wood level in the mind of a mason. But that is just my experience.
Paramount
These are predominantly used by masons. Cementious materials are very caustic to aluminum and the Cricks are designed to be hit with the heel of a trowel for leveling a course…tapping it down.
They’re nice levels…I had one for quite some time. Ultimately, for carpentry I invested in Stabilas. If I was a mason, I’d have Cricks.
fred
When Milwaukee introduced their Magnesium concrete levels – one of my first toughts was about how well they might hold up. But magnesium is use for concrete screeds, floats and darbies – so I guess it hold up well enough.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-48-in-Concrete-Screed-Level-MLCON48/304927610
ca
Stabila makes a level for masons that is designed to be hit with a trowel.
Levi
You are absolutely right. You need something nice to look at, nice to use, with some weight to it to help push down bricks when you are hitting the level with your trowel. Wood is so much better.
fred
I had never heard of Crick – but wood (often mahogany) seemed to be the choice for many mason’s levels.
I guess that I think more of brands like Empire, Johnson, Kapro, Sola, Stabila and Swanson when I think level. But we bought some Sands (Kraft Tool) made in USA plumbers levels:
https://www.harryepstein.com/sands-24-plumber-s-aluminum-cast-level-sl2424p.html
Sands levels are also sold on Amazon and Home Depot websites
We also bought and like quite a few of the Checkpoint torpedo and specialty levels:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/CheckPointLevels/page/BBFCD01B-DEDB-412A-9934-A0EFB5F0B9A6
Kipp Riddle
I was gifted a Lester Smith wood level 45 years ago. Still accurate, straight, and true.
Vials and bubbles are exceptionly long for accuracy and ease of use.
Smith Level Company, Excelsior Springs, Missouri.
Ed
They are very good but expensive. I have a 4 footer love it. They are very popular with brick and block layers at least in my area.
Rob
I thought Crick had been around for a long while? The design has. They sell Crick at my local shop on the side of the aisle that isn’t all stabila.
fred
Doing a bit more research on the brand has resulted in another question for me.
When you browse the Marshalltown Trowel Company website – they seem to list Crick Levels for sale. Is Crick a subsidiary of Marshalltown ? While the Marshalltown site talks about their acquisition of Embee, Bullet, Clark (Thrifty) Trowel and other brands – no mention is made of Crick
JoeM
Certainly looks nice… But I’m aiming for Stabila. Thinking a Digital level. I own little pocketable levels, but I was going to step up to a full sized level eventually. And what can I say? I’m a sucker for a digital readout.
Glad to see somebody still trying to create some real customized products in this tool though.
Will
I got one a few years ago, a two footer, works great and pretty.
Franco Calcagni
I do not own any Crick but heard of them years ago. A buddy of mine that works with pavers and general masonry bought one in the 90’s and was very impressed, he bought various sizes afterwards.
Because you do not find them in many hardware stores, you really need to know about them and seek them out.
From all the Stabila comments here, it sounds like Stabila is the Milwaukee or Snap On of levels, you need to have one for bragging rights (even if it gets used once a year…”you know it’s a Stabila, made in Germany?”).
IronWood
Not sure Milwaukee and Snap-On give are exactly equivalent in terms of prestige…
I have Stabila levels because they’re available locally, I think they’re about the best for the price and they’re not made in China.
fred
I believe that Stabila levels are still made in Germany – but their distance measuring devices are made in Hungary and some if not all of their lasers are made in China. They also make their level cases in China
We had Stabila hole locating lasers (HL-100 for pipe runs and V2R for vent stacks) that came in handy – but may be discontinued. We also had use for their extendable plate levels:
https://www.amazon.com/Stabila-35712-Extendable-Plate-Level/dp/B001LRQUTG/
Their extendable levels were also liked by some of our carpenters:
https://www.kctool.com/stabila-37540-type-196-jamber-set-78-level-with-type-80t-extendable-level/
RednGreen Chile
Stabila IS the Stabila of levels
Milwaukee isn’t even in the conversation. Just good marketing.
Matt J.
I have a few Stabila products. A few made in Germany, one in Czech Republic.
JoeM
I believe you mean Milwaukee or DeWALT. Those two are direct parallels from two different major corporation branches. Snap On is on a similar plane to MAC tools. Same company that owns DeWALT, Stanley Black&Decker (SBD), owns MAC, I believe. And if I’m not mistaken, the same company, similarly, owns Milwaukee and Snap On, TTi.
Just gotta remember that some brands are directly targeting certain demographics, and so go under a name that allows them to appear like specialists in that demographic. Snap On and MAC are Garage/Automotive/Heavy Equipment Service Tool Brands. Where DeWALT and Milwaukee are… vaguely targeted at Professional Construction and Trades… There’s overlap with these two, but, unlike Snap On and MAC, or really any other brand around them, DeWALT and Milwaukee meld together easier side by side, without overlapping or stepping on eachother. They both do tools that the other just don’t do, or have variations of tools that the other just don’t bother with.
Stabila and Empire, I believe, would Parallel here. There are a large number of people whose exact job depends on levels as part of their “Team” or “Task” at work. At this point they exit the regular tool market, and go for the Specialty market for Levels, leading them to Stabila and Empire. Neither of these companies is any more special to the Levels market than DeWALT and Milwaukee are to Construction and Trades.
That said… Look closer, and you’ll see a lot of people super patriotic toward Empire Levels. Even Stabila users will see no problem with Empire at times. It’s just… Stabila has devoted a lot of effort to get the most accurate Levels they can manage within the laws of physics and market worth… So they are a little higher priced, but they also last quite a while without having to be righted in any way. I own a cheap Chinese credit-card sized bubble level right now… it’s good for hanging pictures, and putting stuff on the walls, but it’s not one of those levels you would take to a job site. But I don’t feel any shame in that.
fred
As I understand some of the tool-making companies – the giants are SBD (Stanley – Black & Decker) – reportedly with 14% of the global market, Robert Bosch with just over 12%, Fortive with just under 12%, TTI with just under 10%, Hilti with 8%, ITW with 7%, Makita with just under 7%, Snap-On with 6.7%, Apex Tool Group (part of Bain Capital) with about 3% and Hitachi Koki (part of KKR) rounding out the top ten with 2.4%
Stuart did a post about who owns what – but things change from time to time.
https://toolguyd.com/tool-brands-corporate-affiliations/
IMO – levels produced in Germany by Stabila (an independent company) are of a bit higher quality than some brands like USA-made Empire or China-made Milwaukee (both TTI companies) , China-made Johnson (part of Hultafors AB) or any of those made under the SBD banners (Dewalt, Stanley et. al).
I don’t ever recall seeing a Snap-On branded level – but have seen ones from Bahco (a SnapOn company). Bosch is also not known for making spirit levels – but has made some electronic ones. Similarly I don’t recall seeing spirit levels made by Apex companies (like Lufkin or Crescent) or any of the Fortive or ITW companies
Sola (part of Keson) is also a well respected brand – and produces levels (or used to) in Austria. Kapro (the OEM for some Husky levels) used to produce theirs in Israel – but what I’ve seen lately come from China.
Small brands posted about here like Smith (may be aligned with BonTool) and Crick (may be aligned with Marshalltown) seem to be USA-made
JoeM
And that, right there, is why I love fred. I knew of that thread of Stuart’s, and didn’t think to check it first before posting… Then fred enters, and educates us all in magnificent ways…
fred, you never cease to outperform us all! Thank you, good sir!
RCWARD
A wood level and at that price level? NO
Raymond Kokesh
I was in the masonry business back in the 80s and Crick was a top of the line level for bricklayers. I still have a few that I use on occasion. I believe they were a small family owned company in Texas. Premium levels for a premium price.
Randy
In Minnesota its the only thing I see masons and bricklayers use. Its not a carpentry level so much as it is a level you can throw in a hole and make sure a layer of block is on the right track. My step dad has been a mason for over 20-years and its all he has ever used.
Ross
There is also Smith levels that are made in Missouri. Maybe not super practical but very nice looking… https://www.smithlevelcompany.com/index.html
fred
Smith levels seem to be marketed by Bon Tool at places like Lowes, Woodcraft and Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/11-700-48-Inch-Smith-Laminated-Level/dp/B000KZ0WWQ
Jason
If you browse level recommendations at GarageJournal, you’ll find people swearing by Stabila and Sola among the pricier options. Crick also has a dedicated following.
Matt J.
I’ve had a Crick 4-footer for almost 15 years. Love it, well worth the investment. I have a couple of Stabilas as well and they’re both really good and basically the same as far as accuracy. What sold me on the Crick was meeting the founder/president/CEO (I forget his title and name at this point) at a trade show. I’ll try and do his pitch justice, but it was impressive and has held well with my experiences:
-laminations and species are chosen to maximize stability (in concert with the stainless banding) – I believe the 5 ply (which mine is) is slightly more resistant to moisture, but both have tight tolerances
-wood has far less variation based on temperature swing (at the time I was working in NY and this was more of a big deal)
-all three planes on a Crick are guaranteed square/level to each other and the vials (to whatever tolerance anyway)
I agree there’s some luxury to the appearance, but it’s clear both from meeting them and using their levels that they were going after the stabila/sola market (this is also before empire/swanson/etc. really got into the box beam market with anything close, either) and felt wood was the way to do it. It’s definitely night and day from the cheap-ish brass and mahogany swanson I had at one point. They’re probably not for everyone, but I don’t regret the decision and it’s one of my favorite tools in my collection.
Sam
I have a cast aluminum brick layer level (28 inch) from Port Austin. It is 70 years old and I had Port Austin replace the vials a couple of years ago and they re-planned it remove a couple of surface dings. Cast Aluminum is the way to go for rugged levels. Port Austin still makes their levels in Port Austin Michigan.
Greg Grant
Hello my name is Greg Grant I am with G & G Inc I am looking for Levels with this Spec
Crick levels
Level: 48 in Lg, 3 Vials, Yellow, Top Read, Aluminum, Nonmagnetic
I would like to know the price for that or if you have something similar. I would appreciate you contacting me back with some prices ..
Thanks