Klein Tools has quietly launched another new tool that’s made in Asia.
Shown here are the Klein K12075 slim forged wire stripping and cutting pliers. At this time, this new model of Klein pliers looks to be a Lowe’s exclusive, and it’s priced at $31.98.
I recently saw a post on Reddit, with the headline “junk,” where someone says the tool “felt super cheap” and was damaged within the first hour of use.
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I wasn’t familiar with this model, and a quick search turned up the Lowe’s product page. According to the photos in an early review, the pliers are made in Taiwan.
Taiwan toolmakers produce some of the best and highest quality tools I have ever used.
But what does this – a seemingly increased penchant for outsourcing – say about the direction Klein Tools is headed?
Klein Tools loves to promote their USA manufacturing.
They’ve also celebrated this with limited edition tools featuring American flag decorations. Their wire strippers from earlier this year had the wrong number of stars.
Another, mini wire cutters, had the wrong number of stars and stripes.
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So why is Klein manufacturing more and more tools in Asia rather than right here in the USA?
It almost always comes down to money.
Could it be that the hand tools company found it too difficult to manufacture their slightly different new style of pliers in the USA?
After all, Stanley Black & Decker, which describes itself as the “#1 world leader in the tool industry,” failed spectacularly when they tried to open a new hand tools factory in the USA. Although, that was about money too.
Outsourcing and launching more imported tools enabled Klein to enter new tool industries. Apparently there was a hole in the plumbing tools industry, and it was large enough that an electrical hand tool brand stepped in to fill it with pipe wrenches, tubing cutters, and other similar plumbing basics.
But is that really what happened?
Klein Tools and Lowe’s seem to have deepened their relationship. You can now find Klein products in the electrical, plumbing, and general construction tool departments at Lowe’s stores.
Some of their electrical hand tools are still made in the USA, but Klein has been launching many more tools that are made in Asia from the start.
We have also seen examples where Klein has also been moving production from the USA to Asia.
I suppose imported production lets Klein get more promotional floor space during the major holiday shopping seasons, and maybe also in between.
Perhaps Klein Tools is motivated by the desire for more profit and faster growth. Or maybe such moves are necessary to keep up with the competition, or maybe even for long-term survival.
Regardless of the intentions, motivations, or explanations, it’s the precedents that worry me.
Not too long ago, Craftsman predominantly manufactured tools in the USA.
Here’s a page for Sears’ 2008 holiday tool catalog.
On that page it said this: All Craftsman sockets and wrenches are proudly made in the USA.
A few years later, Sears launched new styles of wrenches that were made overseas. Then they launched sockets. Then they started replacing USA-made tools.
Fast forward a few years, and Stanley Black & Decker bought the Craftsman brand from Sears.
SBD pledged, promised, and sold the idea that they would build upon legacy. They would “expand US manufacturing footprint.”
Did they? Nope.
And yes, Stanley Black & Decker used MY PHOTO of the Craftsman catalog without permission.
I came across a Craftsman 3-drawer tool box in Lowe’s deal center last week. Stanley Black & Decker bought Waterloo, a steel tool box manufacturer – around the time they acquired the Craftsman brand.
Stanley Black & Decker said they were “committed to bringing Craftsman’s manufacturing back to the United States.”
Where is the tool box made? Cambodia.
How many of Apex Tool Group’s Crescent tools are made in the USA today? Wiss? HK Porter?
Many companies have moved tool production outside the USA, and few have come back from that.
Milwaukee Tool never produced hand tools here, and yet they built a factory from the ground up to be able to make electrical pliers and screwdrivers in the USA.
Meanwhile, the world’s largest tool company couldn’t figure out how to make Craftsman sockets and wrenches in the USA, something that other companies were doing without difficulty 2 decades ago.
We don’t know why Klein is doing what they’re doing, but we can see the trend they’ve established. They’re launching new tools that are made overseas, and we have seen several examples where they presumably discontinued USA production in favor of less expensive imports.
Maybe all of this is so that they can leverage existing USA production capacity for pliers with limited edition decorations or “blackout” colors.
It’s also possible that Klein Tools is milking their lucrative relationship with Lowe’s to fund an expansion of their USA factories, and that it’s all part of a future exit plan.
Exit plan? Brands like ToughBuilt, Ideal, Southwire, and Bostitch can fill you in. Oh – and from what I hear, Flex and Skil too.
I’m not upset that Klein Tools is leveraging their relationship with Lowe’s, which they certainly are doing – and it’s smart of them.
Thus far, I have NOT heard about Klein closing any factories, or about any job cuts, which suggests that the company is NOT replacing USA manufacturing.
How long before Klein Tools follows the lead of Stanley Black & Decker and Craftsman, or Apex Tool Group?
Back when Craftsman, under Sears, launched their first imported tools, I gave them the benefit of the doubt, and was wrong to do so.
Tool brands like Channellock, Tekton, and Milwaukee have proved my optimism to be well-placed, but those were examples where promises were kept and values closely adhered to.
So far Klein Tools has said nothing.
Even so, actions are louder than words. What they have done is launch more imported tools in new (e.g. plumbing) and existing (e.g. pliers and wiring tools) categories, and we have also seen examples where they replaced USA-made tools with imported ones.
This is the history of the future, and what will it tell us when we look back in a decade’s time? That Klein Tools followed the same pattern as other American hand tool brands and abandoned domestic production over time, or is a different future possible?
Jim Felt
I’ve got nothin’ to add to the overseas vs. Texas built issue. Primarily because I’ve many many German and Japanese made hand tools that IMO have no NA made equivalents.
However… I really detest Klein’s un-lockable square edged latest brand extension hand tools. They just have a lousy “hand” as I never wear gloves (that might abrogate that issue).
Regardless of point of origin.
Hon Cho
As you wrote Stuart, it’s about the money. After all, it’s business and that’s what businesses do. American consumers like lower prices, American business like higher profits. Foreign manufacturing, even with recent hikes in tariffs, is still the fastest route to reasonable quality, lower prices and acceptable profits. Nobody has to like it but I can’t imagine it changing anytime soon. If you like USA made tools, then seek them out and buy them while some are still manufactured here.
Val
I don’t think that Americans like cheaper prices as much as the companies just want more profit. How come a lot are buying knipex that are like 3 times the price of the American made?
When they move to overseas, they don’t bring the price down, just the quality, and they blame the consumers for it so they can keep the profits up
EBT
Also the more private equity firms that buy up manufacturers don’t help the consumer. They help the PE firms.
fred
Klein (a family-owned company) is a bit of a rarity in that it has survived beyond the 3rd generation. I’m not sure if their CEO (Thomas R. Klein) is 6th or greater generations down from founder (168 years ago) Mathias Klein- but I guess he’s feeling the pressures of modern retail business and globalization. I’m betting that Lowe’s corporate tool buyers contribute to that pressure – wanting low prices for their end-user customers and greater profits for their company.
Will this help Klein survive – or will the family end up selling the company off like so others have done? As you note – a decade from now we might see how the current strategy has worked out.
Stuart
That’s the tough part.
Let’s say Klein built new state of the art tool factories to meet capacity needs. What happens if Lowe’s dumps them in 5 years or whenever the contract ends?
In that regard, it could be smart not to invest in expansion just yet.
Consider Malco. They put a lot of money into redesigning Eagle Grip locking pliers and manufacturing them in the USA. They shut down the new brand and soon after were acquired by an investment company.
Klein Tools is steering their direction, but external factors are also moving the car. Companies cannot always go in the direction they want.
As spectators, we cannot see where they are steering towards, just where things appear to be heading.
fred
On an even larger stage (at least in terms of brand recognition and market share) was Rubbermaid. Their demise as an independent company and sale to Newell (once their archrival) is the stuff of business school case studies. Some point to their demise as being tied to their hitching their wagon to Walmart – expanding to meet the volume demands that Walmart and its customers engendered – then being caught in a never-ending spiral of cost reduction pressures that they ultimately could not meet.
I for one was glad that none of my business interests were involved in producing consumer goods – and that across our businesses my partners and I fought off the temptation to offer our stock publicly.
Peter
Yeah, that is a good excample.
MM
In my opinion the real root of the problem is that Klein sat on their laurels for too long and now they’re facing problems as a result of it. A few decades ago Klein had arguably the best electrician’s hand tools in the US. There wasn’t a lot of good competition and Klein was at the top. But then serious competition crept it. Foreign companies like Knipex made better pliers. Back in the 1990s those weren’t easy to find in the USA so they posed little threat. Today they’re easily found; pros know and love them. Many other foreign companies offered lower prices, perhaps with lower quality but still good enough for many customers. Now there’s Milwaukee competing with a fresh newly designed line of “Made in USA” tools. Klein is under attack from every angle: quality, price, value. It does not surprise me that they are trying all sorts of new things to stay relevant.
CMF
The question to expand or stick to what got us here is probably something all companies, big and small, discuss often. Then for MITUSA companies, the question is do we stay or go offshore.
For Klein, they were for years the leading MITUSA tools aimed at electricians. Milwaukee, Dewalt and others getting into hand tools, and then for sure Milwaukee with their MITUSA, which have more floor space in HD than Klein, made or forced Klein to find ways to get back marketspace.
Time will tell if it is working or a failure.
CMF
Interesting that Taiwan and Japan are mentioned. I remember when in the late 60’s or early 70’s, first Japanese products, then later Taiwanese products, were introduced as Cheaper (less expensive alternatives). As time went on, MFR’s found other places to make less expensive, like China, and both Japan and Taiwan introduced more of there own brands and not aimed at cheap products. As both Stuart and Jim mentioned, they are now both top quality tool makers.
MattT
“…which suggests that the company is NOT replacing USA manufacturing…”
…yet.
Stuart
That’s the biggest concern.
John
The boiling frog metaphor comes to mind after reading Stewart’s post. I hope Klein’s decision to move production to Asia wasn’t taken lightly and they are aware of the brand perception risks that offshoring poses. For me, the top-3 things I associate with Klein are linesman pliers, family-owned business and made in USA. It feels like moving their wire stripper production to Taiwan is another step down a slippery slope.
Stuart
To be clear, this appears to be a *new product.*
We have seen examples where Klein moved production overseas, but this tool looks to have involved new production.
TomD
I wonder if it’s closer to Klein selling their name to a tool Lowe’s already had lined up for manufacture.
If that’s the case it might be able to find the identical tool somewhere with a different brand.
mark w
Design wise they look more like Klein is doing the design work and contract manufacturer sourcing themselves in my opinion.
Bonnie
What brand perception risks? On enthusiast forums like this maybe. But we are not representative of the industry. Does offshoring actually harm a brand materially? I don’t think it does as much as people like to claim.
Stuart
From what I’ve been told a bunch of times, many union electricians prefer hand tools made with American labor.
CMF
I agree with both Bonnie and Stuart.
I think there are many items that enthusiasts prefer MITUSA. But the average consumer really doesn’t look at this as much. I have friends and family that don’t know that yellow is Dewalt and red is Milwaukee…some do not even know the brands.
In the case of Klein, not sure what the percentage is, but I am quite sure their sales to electricians & trade workers, is a much higher percentage than consumers, compared to most other tools. Union workers and any electricians, Klein has been the standard for years and MITUSA was one of the main reasons, among others like quality.
Cedric Rigler
Last few Klein’s I bought were garbage. Didn’t matter what, just straight up junk. Pliars didn’t grip right, screwdriver units stripped out immediately. Just straight up junk.
mark w
Amen same here. Bought USA made linesmmans and the black coating came off with my tool oil I use on all my tools. I’ve never had that happen to any other brand from vintage craftsman to husky to knipex.
Also had one of their precision screwdrivers and the bit sheared off like is was insanely over annealed. Couldn’t loosen a single screw. Wild.
Daniel
I bought the new Klein Kurve model K12045 forged wire stripper made in Taiwan last week at Lowes. I specifically bought them because they can strip the outer sheath of 12-2 or 14-2 NM cable. I haven’t used them for any real work yet, but I’m not impressed. They strip individual wires both 12 and 14 gauge very well, but not the sheath with a clean strip. Maybe I need to practice a bit. I’ll have to use them some more to know for sure, but for now meh!!!!
They certainly don’t surpass my other go to strippers. The USA forged Klein Kurve K12035 and my benchmark for strippers for me the German forged Knipex 13 72 8.
You mentioned Tekton above. They recently stopped producing their USA made screwdrivers and sourced the new ones made in Germany. In fact they are made by Witte. I picked up a few of them put them in my daily use technician bag and used them hard. They are OK drivers, but nothing to write home about. Used them everyday for two months before going back to my USA made Klein’s.
Tekton also launched new water pump pliers today. Also sourced from Germany. They don’t look like exact Knipex Cobra clones, but they are forged in Germany.
https://www.tekton.com/angle-nose-push-button-adjustable-pliers-set-3-piece-pga93001
I love many of my Tekton tools and will probably pick a pair up just to try them, but I’m a Knipex snob and I am doubtful the new Tekton pliers will be better than Knipex.
Andy
NWS, in Germany, makes the new pliers for Tekton. Tekton said as much in their email announcing the new pliers.
I really liked the NWS pliers I have, they’re really well made, and seem to hold up well. They’re usually less expensive than a comparable tool from Knipex, but don’t seem to be lower quality. I have a NWS pair of combination pliers, and a pair that NWS made for Sonic Tools and there’s no discernible difference between the 2 pairs. I expect the Tekton versions will to be up to NWS’s typical high standards.
My recollection is that Stuart published an article comparing the two companies somewhat recently.
That said, I haven’t tried NWS’s version of either a pipe wrench (Cobras) or Pliers wrench. For those, I went with Knipex since they’re the original version and are generally excellent in all ways.
Daniel
I see the reference to NWS in the email now. LOL When I received the email I was busy and didn’t really read it, but curious so I clicked on shop now and then looked at them on the website.
Something about the geometry looks off. I still probably pick one up just to try it. I do need another pliers wrench so maybe I’ll wait until they drop those.
s
i suspect, like Fred’s Rubbermaid example, a lot of the pressure has to do with dealing with a sales corporation like Lowes. previously, they only sold in niche supply houses and online distributors. similar to a mechanics ‘tool truck’, people shopping tools at supply houses generally don’t ask ‘how much’, only ‘do you have it in stock’.
but the mounting pressure from milwaukee expanding into their nearly-uncontested tool territory also hasn’t been great for them. milwaukee’s hand tool expansion literally started pushing them to expand to other trades in a lot of ways.
though i suspect that after home depot’s near partnership with TTI brands, lowes began pushing for their own ‘globally-known house brand’ outside of their kobalt line, and with that comes a lot of production volume pressures that never existed for klein up to this point.
Ben R
“We don’t know why Klein is doing this” – I think we do? Economics. Klein are privately held and all the big box stores are moving towards a focus on brands owned by their corporate parents or subsidiaries. It’s a race to the bottom for price competition.
ITCD
Are they moving that direction? As I recall Kobalt seems to be pushed more and more to the side even while celebrating its 25th anniversary, in favor of Craftsman as the feature brand and then Klein and others also at Lowe’s. I don’t think they even sell Blue Hawk tools anymore either, that used to be the El Cheapo in-house option. Lowe’s made such a huge hoopla about on-boarding Klein so I’m just not convinced that they’re aiming at house brands instead.
Terry S
Stuart wrote: As spectators, we cannot see where they are steering towards, just where things appear to be heading.
But are we really just spectators? In particular, the group of people who regularly visit this site are almost certainly not just spectators. We spend our our money on tools we value and plan to keep for a while. I can’t recall too many comments on here where people boasted about buying the cheapest possible tool. (Though, plenty of us, of course, brag about getting a good deal on an otherwise prized tool.)
There are certainly plenty of ToolGuyd readers who are willing to spend their money on American-made tools. I am one of them. I’ve always tried to buy American, sometimes to the detriment of quality (see: late-stage Armstrong tools. Yikes!)
I stayed loyal to Craftsman, SK, Armstrong, Irwin, Crescent and even Klein over the years–and tons of other companies that shifted production overseas to make five cents more on the dollar.
That’s truly the bottom line here. Klein may be run by a sixth-generation family member, but he’s probably convinced that his $400 to $500 million company could be a billion-dollar enterprise. Great-great-great grandad might not have had an MBA, but Junior likely does.
I might be cynical, but the singular reason for Klein to so rapidly expand its product line and market reach, largely by producing overseas with new categories, is to make more money. Not begrudging them for it, but if you build a product line based on high-quality American tools for the American working man, slapping that hard-won reputation on overseas tools is precisely what makes me cynical.
fred
Family-owned or publicly traded – it’s hard to run a business over the long haul and stay competitive. Customer proclivities change, retail outlets come and go, your competition may get smarter (or less so) and the demands of your stakeholders (owners, investors, employees, labor unions, community, government et. al.) can migrate all over the place. Trying some new approaches may seem like a good idea – but ultimately lead to questioning; what were we thinking? My thought is that trading on your brand and reputation as MITUSA then slipping in foreign goods sort of on the QT – is not a great decision. It may meet some immediate profit goals or demands from a large retail outlet – but ultimately it diminishes you. Snap On’s Blue-Point and Gedore’s Red brands (as examples) – seem to constitute an alternative approach – of wanting to offer goods made outside your home base (USA and Germany in my example) – with both connection and differentiation from your flagship brand name.
Stuart
(< > are special characters, and so the comment system seemed to delete everything in between and then converted them into non-special characters.)
As for being spectators, consider a magic show. You can see how things move, but you don’t see strings or magnets that are manipulating those movements.
There could be compounded influences, factors, and reasoning, especially considering that these are specific product developments centered around Lowe’s.
A marketing company sent me survey results a few months ago, saying that Americans preferred USA-made tools even if they cost more. I argued with them, calling BS on the conclusions. The survey showed that Americans SAY they prefer USA-made tools.
The reality is that most consumers are motivated by price. Even a lot of professionals and businesses see price as a priority in making their purchasing decisions.
Do Americans really like cheap tools? Just ask Eric Smidt, owner of Harbor Freight, who bought a 383-foot yacht, with an estimated value of $300 million, just a few years ago. According to the internet, his yacht came with a ~226ft support yacht.
As for Klein’s movements that are centered at Lowe’s, we see what we see, but we don’t know what we don’t know.
We can only watch how things unfold.
M Tinks
It comes down to the cost of labor and wages. How much is too much for CEOs to profit? I saw this happen in the telecom field when tech support and sales were transferred from the US to India. Cost per head was super cheap. Whereas a US representative commanded a $20 per hour wage, India was only 60 cents an hour, if not cheaper. Multiply that by your workforce. Now, India is too expensive and many now moving to 3rd world South America. Shave off 30% of multimillion CEO, CFO, CCO, COO, CPO etc etc etc wages and compensation and you can have a productive US budget to hire and manufacture in the US. This is the model all US companies use.
mark w
I work in manufacturing as an engineer and manager. 14 years now. I have recently been working at a couple companies that have global manufacturing footprints. Many smaller plants and some larger ones. The smaller ones are leftovers from the 80-90s manufacturing culture – everything manual, relying on people’s inherent pride in their work, undocumented “shadowing” training instead of work instructions etc.
I lost my last job last year because my plant was consolidated into a larger one in Georgia. Because cost of real estate in my area got too high and the company said “eh not enough margin in this area”
Now am at a plant in USA where much of our business is located in Asia. This is an American company here since the 50’s. What’s happened? Purchased a few years ago by a large private conglomerate type business.
High enough up the chain, the managers oversee many global regions.
What I have seen is that MARGIN IS THE CULPRIT. The second these companies start to see 50%+ margins from Asian/Latin American manufacturing, they start to want nothing else. Even a great mfg. Plant in USA with 30% margins is like “eh, can’t do what Vietnam can”. No matter the skill and capabilities of the employees. We have a mexico plant that causes huge massive financial scrap losses for the company – but they don’t care and won’t relocate that to a more capable country because the wages and property costs are too high in their view. They want 50%+. It’s always 50%+.
From what I’ve seen, it’s starts with upper management being switch from US citizens to Asian/global ones. For example my USA Facility was recently shifted to being managed by an Asian manager.
That Asian manager doesn’t care AT ALL about American manufacturing or Americans or anything ethical stance. They just chase margin so they can chase their advancement.
Despite absolutely nothing wrong with our plant & us as tually having remarkably low scrap & fallout rates, we receive little to no new investment while billion dollar plants in Asia are being built left and right because on paper, those plants will achieve 50%+ margin easily.
That decree for 50%+ margin comes directly from the ultra wealthy private ownership of this conglomerate.
Those people are soulless and it’s the same ones you hear shoving AI down our throats to take all our jobs too. Because hey AI let’s you have higher margins!!!!
AKJ
Companies are aware that 99.99999% of the American consumers do not care where their products they buy are made. The vast majority do not even know where anything in their house or jobsite is made (although the #1 guess is China). Price and features (does it get the job done) were the main considerations. Back before thirty years ago, it was to save a few bucks on the price. Now that the USA no longer has economies of scale, USA made items can be from two to ten times the price of foreign made items. That is why manufacturing in the USA is now collapsing, just like it collapsed in other countries.
The US military is now finding that it is almost impossible to design and build new ships and equipment, leading to canceled programs. We can’t even build new military items here in the US that were designed and built in other countries. Most if what is being built now was designed over 20 years ago when we still had manufacturing designers and engineers.
ElectroAtletico
Caveat emptor with some Milwaukee tools. Some exact models are built both overseas and in US. This is why when it comes to hand tools I go German/Japanese – as a way of giving the finger to both Klein and Milwaukee.
Stuart
Do you have specific examples?
J. Newell
Instead of giving them the finger because they make some tools in the US and some tools overseas (or in Mexico), why not vote with your wallet for MITUSA tools by buying their US-made tools?
Some German and Japanese-made tools are very good; many are not. Either way, at the end of the day, if MITUSA is important, buying Knipex is as bad as buying cheap Asian junk.
fred
I don’t know if Milwaukee is making the same tool in different countries (although that seems a bit inefficient) but I do know that they seem to have moved some production out of China. For 2025 – I bought quite a few Milwaukee cordless tools and accessories for gift giving. I made note of COO from what it said on the boxes about the tools and/or their component pieces. Based on my estimates of percent of dollars spent – China accounted for 45%, Vietnam 27%, Germany 19%, Turkey 5%, Thailand 2% – with other Asian countries making up the remaining 2%. From my small microcosm of purchases, I think that I’ve noted an increase in tools coming out of Vietnam. I was also a bit surprised that one of the Force logic tools was made in Germany – with some of its accessories made in Turkey.
Stuart
In the past, I have seen that the 6-in-1 wire stripper was made in Taiwan (on the regular shelf peg) or China (holiday gift center). I bought both and found the one made in China to be marginally better with respect to finish quality.
But I’ve never seen Milwaukee tools that were both USA-made and imported. I have seen this with utility knife blades but only when they had a holiday gift bundle set. There, the bundled blade pack was imported while the ones on the shelf were USA-made.
Stanley did that too, with USA-made tape measures on the shelf and imported tapes in the holiday gift center.
Matt_T
Fred,
Milwaukee do seem to have been shifting some production to Vietnam. This looks to be in house product produced in TTI facilities.
I’m not the least bit surprised to see a press tool with German COO but I doubt TTI made it. Lots of press tools are made in Germany including, at least some, Ridgids.
fred
Sounds like TTI/Milwaukee and Emerson/Ridgid found a German OEM – who sources jaws from Turkey
Grady
I bought a Waterloo tool chest a few years ago thinking they were a reputable brand. I regretted that decision almost instantly. Drawers’ that support 100 lbs began to jam and fall out with less than 50 lbs.
Right now I am financially un able to upgrade so I just have to deal with it.
Do your homework!
ITCD
How long ago because they’ve been closed nearly a decade now, it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility that you got a badge-job con-job though I wouldn’t immediately jump to that conclusion without some further research into the matter. But when they got bought out SBD pretty much immediately killed off the Waterloo brand name and switched it to make their lower-end options for MIUSA tool storage among their portfolio (so stuff that isn’t Mac, Proto, etc).
So perhaps they were already on a nosedive and that’s why SBD didn’t see any value in at least keeping a recognized name around.
Daniel
I do prefer American made products, but I actually prefer quality more! If A German or Japanese company makes something better I want it. I buy many USA made tools, but those companies just like foreign companies have to earn my business. In the case of the new Klein strippers I have both the new Taiwan made K12045 and the USA made K12035. The USA made one is definitely better. Maybe it’s because the K12045 is new. I don’t know.
I don’t believe it’s necessarily bad when an American manufacturer has new products made overseas as long as they keep manufacturing in the USA too. I liken it to a restaurant that has a specialty menu item. Could be anything, but let’s say a from scratch hamburger. Custom blend of ground beef fresh made buns from a local bakery and potato chips freshly sliced and fried, with their own made sauce. The menu item draws people in. Not everyone will want a hamburger though. Maybe they want a chicken sandwich or a fish sandwich. The restaurant may not be able to make all those items from scratch, so they source chicken & fish patties from Sysco Foods. Their staff can focus on what they do well, but they can also offer other menu items they may not be able to produce themselves or as well. That helps the restaurant stay in business and keep their employees employed.
Same goes for manufacturing companies. Klein makes a lot of tools in the US, but supplementing them with tools from Taiwan or in Tekton’s case German, may allow them to keep their employees employed. Klein’s website 73 job postings for manufacturing in the United States. Unless we hear of layoffs of factory closures I think Klein should get the benefit of doubt. Sourcing some tools from Asia could mean keeping the factories here running or focusing on what they do well. Trying to do it all here in fact could mean the business wouldn’t be viable and it would all shut down.
Stuart
Many tool brands rely on on OEMs for tools outside of their expertise and capacity.
There was an episode of Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares where he visited a restaurant that has replaced all of their dishes with premade prepackaged food.
It tends to be a slippery slope where all of a sudden everything comes from somewhere else.
This isn’t a Bluetooth radio, multimeter, pipe wrench, impact sockets, or similar, it’s electrical wire stripping pliers. Isn’t that within Klein Tools’ core expertise?
We do not have the full picture.
Maybe Klein will be a rare example of a tool brand that break from repeated patterns. Or maybe they’ll follow down the same exact path as brands like Crescent and Craftsman.
Daniel
I sure hope not! As I said above, I’m not impressed with the Asia imported strippers. I only bought them to strip the sheath off nm cable, instead of using my fastback. I don’t think they work so well.
Daniel
Too bad Klein isn’t forthcoming with information.
Steve
Does Klein really need to sell sunscreen?
https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/miscellaneous-jobsite-accessories/sunscreen-lotion-broad-spectrum-spf-50-8-fl-oz-12-pack
What a distraction.
Stuart
Yep – we talked about this. https://toolguyd.com/klein-tools-sunscreen/
B. L
Stuart, I’m just going to level with you. There are just too many Americans who are unwilling to pay for American sourced goods. They view it as too expensive. They may talk a good game about buying things in the USA but most of them won’t. Companies realize that and will source at more cost effective countries.
I am the former Vice President for a local tool manufacturer (not a big name brand) that went out of its way to produce a 100 pack of single edge bladesl in the USA. The sales were anemic. So we moved production to China and people began buying it. Why? Because it’s cheaper.
ITCD
I’ve noticed that the companies that seem to thrive the most for tool production Stateside tend to be more focused on particular markets that aren’t general retail to the everyman. Industrial, government sales, industries still dominated by union work, and businesses that have a heavy emphasis on quick turnaround. There’s also something to be said on certain specialty items where the brand carries a heavy weight of trust and where trust is needed like with metrology as well.
Even then sometimes compromises will be made. Industrial doesn’t always care about price but will especially for consumables because it’s a recurring cost unless the quality outweighs it. We still use Swanstrom plastic nippers even at crazy per-unit prices because they’re indeed a truly fantastic tool in terms of performance and ergonomics though even then we’ve tried pinching pennies by resharpening them (with varying degrees of success) rather than just replacing every time. Government sales are still a guaranteed payday so long as Berry Amendments mandating domestic sourcing hold out or a successful argument for a waiver can’t be made. Quick turnaround can shine for things that are made to order or otherwise just generally aren’t stocked in high quantities when high quantities might be needed, just the fact that it doesn’t have to cross an ocean first and stop and have tariffs assessed before continuing its trip (to say nothing of the costs of tariffs itself or the massively increased costs of getting super quick shipping from other countries) can sometimes have value as well.
Robert
Thanks for shedding the light on Klein. This pattern of outsourcing mfg will continue to haunt American consumers. In industries where craftsmen sell to craftsmen, tool industry for example, we used to eat at the same table. Not anymore