As you may already be aware, Snap-on designs and manufactures high quality tools for professional and industrial use. Snap-on also occasionally rebadges high quality tools from other OEMs, sometimes offering them under their Blue Point label.
New Snap-on products are exclusively sold via tool trucks and Snap-on’s website. Because of this, we were quite surprised to see a handful of Snap-on products offered for sale on Amazon.com.
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The selection of “Snap-on” products being sold by Amazon is varied, and includes utility knives, folding and pocket knives, tool bags and organizers, and nail guns.
Why the quoted “Snap-on”? Because until it can be confirmed otherwise, these tools and accessories will be viewed in the same light as the cheap imported “Snap-on” flashlights that can sometimes be found at discount retailers.
From the corner of my left eye, I see a $25 “money clip knife”. Okay, so Snap-on moved passed flashlights and are now offering various 3rd party pocket knives.
But then, from the corner of my right eye, I see premium-priced magnesium-bodied nailers that don’t seem to be mentioned anywhere on Snap-on’s website. While nail guns don’t exactly fit into Snap-on’s catalog of mechanics’ tools, they’re not quite the same as cheap 3rd party flashlights and knives either. Not knowing any better, I would think that these nailers are genuine Snap-on tools.
The numbers are not adding up – what is going on?
The overwhelming odds are that Snap-on licensed their name for these 3rd party products and seek to permeate new consumer markets. In actuality, they may be diluting their reputation if people catch wind that the quality of these goods are not quite at the Snap-on level. Unless of course they are, but that remains to be seen.
At the very least, this has the potential to cause a lot of confusion.
We’ll try to get to the bottom of this. In the meantime, check out the “Snap-on” products now available via Amazon, and try to watch your language.
Jacob says
Sep 29, 2009 at 5:57 pmsounds like snap on just whoring out their name
rusty says
Sep 30, 2009 at 5:10 pmunfortunately Snap On has been sticking their name on a lot of re-branded items lately.
In the long run I don’t see this as being good for the company.
How ever it brings in cash this quartwe from licensing fees who cars about tomorrow.
Steve says
Dec 3, 2016 at 9:13 amMy wife bought me one of the utility knives one year for Christmas, it was a piece of junk and I threw it away after less than a year of use. Why should you pay premium prices for junk. This truly damages the brand. I know we won’t be buying any more of their tools.