American Made Products – Matt of Many Trades

I really try to buy American-Made whenever possible. I am in no way an isolationist. I believe in a global economy and I believe with my whole heart that American made products SHOULD be part of that world economy. However, I do like to support my own friends and neighbors and that is what all American manufacturers are – neighbors. I like being able to call a live person, within a couple of time zones, and having a discussion if I have had a problem or need information about a product or tool. If I have to ship something, I would really prefer to ship inside the borders of the US for cost, tracking, and lead-time reasons.

In the interest of full disclosure: Do I own a Japanese car? Yes. I also own a Jeep built in the Toledo, Ohio plant in the closing months of 1986. My Jeep Trailer was made by union workers in Oregon, and both of my current bicycles were welded/braised in the US from American steel. My next vehicle will probably be either a Ford or another Jeep. Do I own Chinese-made hand and machine tools? Yep, it is a global economy… I also own a wealth of Snap-On, S&K, Lie-Nelson, NAPA, and old American-made Craftsman tools. I don’t shop at Wal-Mart or H&M for cheaply made clothes – I wear a good deal of Filson, Pendleton, Danner Boots, and Allen Edmond’s shoes as well.

In the interest of full disclosure, I started this list after a bunch of visits to the “Still Made in the USA” website looking for options on purchases. I hijacked their list, removed, added vendors, merged sections, deleted a few vendors that are either out of business or have moved production offshore, and inserted my own experience with some of these makers/sites. The edited product of that cannibalization is what you see below.

Boots and Shoes

Allegiance Footwear (Mountain City, TN): the company used to repair defective imported footwear, but in 2007 launched its own line of USA-made boots for work, hunting or casual wear, with uppers made in Tennessee and bottoms made and applied in Wisconsin.
Cove Shoe Co. (Martinsburg, PA): a full line of US-made boots, including jump, field, and combat boots
Danner Boots (Portland, OR): boots and shoes for hunting, hiking, and work since 1932. I own 2 pairs of Bull Runs and a pair of Ft. Lewis Boots. Some models imported, so use keyword USA in the Danner searchbox.
Red Wing Shoes (Red Wing, MN): making Red Wing brand work boots at 4 U.S. factories (in MN, MO, and KY). (Other brands, and even some of the Red Wing brand, imported so check before you buy.) Retail locator at RedWingShoe.com They no longer make the oil resistant flat white soled slip-on boot with a steel/alloy toe.
Wesco (Scappoose, OR): in addition to their trademark logging boots, “The West Coast Shoe Co.” also makes boots designed for fire fighters, farmers and ranchers, and motorcycle patrol officers
White’s Boots (Spokane, WA): from its earliest days making boots for loggers, this company has a tradition of quality all-leather boots that can even be rebuilt and refurbished at the factory after years of wear.
Wilson Boots (Livingston, MT): handmade Western cowboy boots, in-stock or custom orders, work or dress styles.
Wolverine 1000 Mile Collection (Rockford, MI): a line of leather outdoor and work boots made in USA.

Cutting and Sawing Tools

American Carbide (South Easton, MA): carbide end mills, burrs, and router bits, all made in the USA
Atlas Cutting Tools (Waterbury, CT): carbide, high speed steel and cobalt cutting tools made with domestic (USA) carbide.
Bad Axe Tools (Superior, WI): Really nice hand saws and cutting tools for wood workers.
Big Gator Tools (Louisburg, KS): high quality drill and tap guides, made from an alloyed steel that’s heat treated for durability. Lifetime warranty.
Diamond Saw Works (Chaffee, NY): Sterling-brand saw blades, made in USA since 1890. Blades for band saws, reciprocating saws, jig saws, hack saws, and more.
Eagle America (Chardon, OH): makers of over 900 quality, American-made router bits. (Other products imported)

Kodiak Cutting Tools (Webster, NY): supplier of American-made end mills, taps, twist drills, threadmills, burs, carbide drills and reamers.
Niagara Cutter (Amherst, NY): carbide and diamond-coated carbide cutting tools, all made in USA (in Pennsylvania).
Severance Tool Ind. (Saginaw, MI): specialty high-speed steel and carbide cutting tools.
Viking Drill & Tool (St. Paul, MN): cutting tools designed, engineered and manufactured with union labor at their 74,000sq ft facility. In 2010, the company began participating in GreenPOWER, a program to train workers in green manufacturing practices.
LakeShore Carbide (Buffalo, NY): high performance carbide endmills, made with American carbide, unique geometries, and high quality coatings. Custom tooling also available.
RedLine Tools (Minneapolis, MN): machine tools (carbide endmills, drills, threadmills, and toolholders)
SGS Tool Co. (Munroe Falls, OH): solid carbide rotary cutting tools. All products (burs, drills, endmills, and routers) are manufactured in Northeast Ohio. (In March 2016, SGS Tool was acquired by Japan-based Kyocera Corp. The press release notes that production will stay primarily at existing facilities in Ohio and Indiana.)
Whiteside Machine Co. (Claremont, NC): manufacturing a complete line of solid carbide and carbide-tipped router bits for all your woodworking needs. Available from Woodworkers World

Hand & Fabrication Tools

Armstrong Industrial Hand Tools , including ratchets, sockets, and wrenches, are almost all made in Sumter, South Carolina. Select the “Made in USA” box under the “Shop By” options.
Awl for All (Arlington Hts., IL): wooden-handled lock stitch sewing awl for repairing leather, canvas, vinyl and fabric items. Needles and thread store in tool handle. Made in USA since 1903. Triple strand waxed thread available in colors to match your project.
Bondhus (Monticello, MN): ball-point hex tools, available from NorthernTool.com

Channellock Inc. (Meadville, PA): over 120 different sizes and types of pliers and other hand tools, including their patented tongue-and-groove and slip-joint pliers. (You can also have your Channellock tools engravedwith your name or company logo.)
Chapman Tools (Durham, CT): midget ratchets and adaptors for Allen, Bristol, Phillips, and TORX fasteners since 1936 to repair and service everything from firearms to appliances, computers to dental equipment.
Craftsman Tool Manufacturing has migrated out of the U.S., the Craftsman hand tools are now a mix of USA-made and imported.
Crucible Tools (Covington, KY ): The tool division of Lost Art Press. Hold Fasts, Bevel Monkeys, planing stops, and other tools for woodworkers
Eklind Tool Co. (Franklin Park, IL): hex tools, including folding, L-keys, and T-keys, all made in USA
Electrical Safety Products (Woburn, MA): 1000v dielectric double-insulated electrical tools and safety equipment. Insulated coatings on U.S.-made tools by Channellock, Eklind, and Wright Tool
Estwing (Rockford, IL): hammers, mallets, axes, and geological tools, with a patented shock-reduction grip, made in USA. I own more of these than you might think I need…
Faram Forge (Camino Island, WA): Premier forging hammers and blacksmith tools
Grace USA (Williamsburg, MI): handmade tools for the gun industry, woodworking, industrial, military and mechanic trade, since 1941.
Hardcore Hammers (Shawnee, KS): carpenter’s framing hammers with special features, including a head with magnetized nail slots and a recessed waffle surface to grip nails without leaving a mark on wood surfaces.
Holland Anvil (Holand, MI): Anvils and swage blocks cast with H13 steel that is hardened to 53-55Rc.
Kalama Precision Machine (Kalama, WA): makers of Hold and Fold™ Photo-Etch (PE) Tools for fine-scale metal modelers. Offering PE workstations, rolling sets, and cut-off kits, all made in USA.
Klein Tools (Lincolnshire, IL): manufacturing a wide variety of hand-tools at several facilities in Illinois. The company website has a nice summary of product lines made at their 9 U.S. facilities. (Some products imported from Mexico and elsewhere, so check origin).
LoggerHead Tools (Chicago, IL): adjustable Bionic Wrench, covering a range of SAE/metric sizes. Manufactured by Penn United Technology, Inc. (Cabot, PA).
Martinez Tool (Southern California): Maker of the Stiletto Titanium Hammers, custom hammers, and quality framing squares
Midwest Tool & Cutlery (Sturgis, MI): forged blade hand tools, including metal cutting snips and related edge hand tools
Moody Tools (Warwick, RI): manufacturers of precision miniature tools.
Nimba Anvils (Port Townsend, WA): Makers of a double-horn, South German style forging anvils with 120, 260, and 450 pound models
Park Tool (St. Paul, MN): bicycle repair tools, most made in USA (multi-tools imported), available from REI
Quick and Dirty Tools (Seattle, WA): Blacksmith forging tongs
Robust (Bardeveld, WI) Maker of wood lathes and turning accessories
Rogue Fabrication (Sandy, OR): Suppliers of Tubing Benders, dies , and other metal fabrication parts – gear toward the off road industry
S-K Handtool (McCook, IL): socket and drive tools and wrenches, made in USA.
Snap-on Tools: a business division of Snap-on Inc., Snap-on Tools Group manufactures hand tools for motor vehicle service and repair at 4 facilities in the U.S. (Elkmont, AL; Algona, IA; Elizabethton, TN; and Milwaukee, WI). Known for their franchised dealer vans, Snap-on tools are now also available online. Many, but not all, tools imprinted with the Snap-on name are made in US, other tool brands (including Blue Point) are imported. County of origin is provided for each product on the Snap-On website, so check before you purchase.
Snyder Manufacturing (Salamanca, NY): ratchet and non-ratchet screwdrivers (also pellet stoves!)
Stanley-Proto (New Britain, CT): a division of Stanley, making heavy-duty industrial hand tools used in the manufacture of autos, aircraft, transportation/fleet maintenance. Most Proto tools are made in USA (“Some days a good wrench is the only friend a man’s got.”) Available from Grainger and MSC
Stiletto Tool Co. (Winton, CA): titanium and steel hammers
SWAG Off Road (Bend, OR) Makers of Tubing Rollers, dies, press breaks and other metal fabrication tools geared for the off road automotive market.
Swanson Tool Co. (Frankfort, IL): Original Speed Square. Mine is 35 years old and still amazing.
Vaughan Mfg. (Hebron, IL): hammers and prybars made in USA since 1869 and still made with American-made steel.
Wilde Tool (Hiawatha, KS): full range of hand tools, including pliers, screwdrivers, scrapers, wrenches and specialty tools, full polished with red grips
Wright Tool (Barberton, OH): wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, pliers, and hammers, made in USA with U.S. steel
Xuron Corp. (Saco, ME): industrial and consumer handtools, including shears, pliers and forming tools. Hobby, craft and floral tools available from FDJ On Time

Hardware

Taskhorse Brackets (Waterville, WA): sawhorse brackets made from heavy gauge steel with powder-coated finish
Viking Plastics (Corry, PA): in addition to making OEM parts for the auto industry, this company manufactures plastic and nylon fasteners (nuts, bolts, screws, washers). Available direct to consumers at CP Plastics

Knives and Outdoor Tools

Arc Flashlight (Phoenix, AZ): LED pocket flashlights that run on a single AAA battery. Small and easy to carry, but bright. Made in USA by Mega Tech Devices
Bark River Knives (Escanaba, MI): this family-owned business crafts knives and other cutting tools, with an amazing selection of blade styles and handles.
Bear & Son Cutlery (Jacksonville, AL): American-made hunting knives, camp axes and saws, pocket knives, and multi-tools
Benchmade (Oregon City, OR): manufacturer of folding and fixed blade knives for camping/outdoor use, as well as self defense and public safety applications. Several product classes (Red Class, HK, and NRA Outdoors) include imported product.
Buck Knives (Post Falls, ID): family-owned manufacturer of knives, including folding and pocket knives, for hunting, fishing and general use. All knives made in USA are noted with an American flag icon. (Check out the plant tour)
W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery (Bradford, PA): manufacturers of premium hand-crafted pocket knives, hunting, and fixed-blade knives since 1889. Available from XX Cutlery
Council Tool (Lake Waccamaw, NC): American-made striking, digging, and firefighting tools, including axes, mauls, mattocks and sledge hammers
DMT (Marlborough, MA): Diamond Machining Technology makes diamond sharpeners for kitchen, garden, and workshop tools. Diamond crystals bonded to a metal plate, will not break or chip.
Emerson Knives (Torrance, CA): tactical knives handcrafted in California from steel made in Chicago…”deployed with the most elite military and law enforcement organizations in the world…”
Estwing (Rockford, IL): camping axes, wood-splitters and geological tools. My personal favorite finish hammers!
Kershaw Knives (Tualatin, OR): utility knives made in their Oregon facility–look for “Made in USA” in product descriptions. (Other product categories mostly made in Japan and China.)
Ladder’s Little Helper: an anti-slip ladder guide that fits over gutters and prevents side-to-side movement of your ladder while you are on it! Sounds like a great safety idea. Designed in Australia, but made in USA (Kansas City) with U.S. raw materials.
Leatherman (Portland, OR): knives, pruners, and multi-tools, made in USA from US and imported parts.
LogRite Tools (Vernon, CT): aluminum-handled logging tools for use at sawmills, woodlots and construction sites. Tools include cant hooks, log peaveys, timber carriers, and hand saws, all made in USA.
MagLite (Ontario, CA): my favorite example of a product that integrates beautiful design and performance–the red MagLite flashlight. “Every Mag Instrument flashlight, no matter where in the world it ends up, comes from a factory located in the U.S.A. and staffed by American workers.” Read more about the company’s commitment to U.S. workers .
R. Murphy Knife Co. (Ayer, MA): hunting, fishing, and sport knives, plus knives for flooring, roofing, scrapers, and shop tools. An edge for almost any use!
Ontario Knife Co. (Franklinville, NY): sporting/outdoor and survival knives and edged tools, available from Brigade Quartermasters

Pro Tool Industries (Pottstown, PA): utility knives and saws, plus Woodman’s Pal land clearing tool–“Designed by Americans, made of American materials and crafted with 23 meticulous hand operations by Pennsylvania workers.”
Randall Made Knives (Orlando, FL): hand-crafted knives for outdoor, hunting, saltwater, survival and military applications

Leather Goods

Andrews Custom Leather (ST. Augustine, FL) Old west holsters and rigs. Go to for the Cowboy-Action scene. Modern IWB and OWB holsters as well as test leather shoulder holster options and fit available to modern handguns as well. Exotic skin options.
DM Bullard (Cooper, TX): Leather Belts, wallets, and Holsters. I own 6 holsters and a number of accessories. Part of my EDC.
Holtz Leather (Huntsville, AL): Belts, wallets, bags, organizers, and hats. Give 10% Militarty and Veteran’s Discount
Kramer Leather (Tacoma, WA): Leather Belts and Holsters. The horsehide offering is of premium quality. The single or double magazine holders (depending on day and outfit) are part of my EDC.
Langlitz Leather (Portland, OR): New bespoke and used house-brand motorcycle leather jackets and pants.
Occidental Leather (Sonoma County, CA): One of the finest leather tool bags you will ever hang on your hip.
South Texas Saddlery (San Antonio, TX): Leather goods for travel, field and office.

Measuring & QC Tools

Bodelin Technologies (Lake Oswego, OR): makers of the ProScope HR hand-held digital microscope for science education, law enforcement, and manufacturing quality control. Made in Oregon.
Crick Tool (Ben Wheeler, TX): standard and door buck levels, precision crafted in USA
Deltronic (Santa Ana, CA): optical comparators made in USA
Fisher Machine (Hawthorne, CA): edge finders, v-blocks and clamps, sine bars, and thread measuring wires. All made in USA.
Johnson Level & Tool Mfg. Co. (Mequon, WI): laser and “bubble” levels, framing squares, and other leveling, marking and layout tools. Made in Wisconsin since 1947.
L.S. Starrett Co. (Athol, MA): precision tools, including micrometers, calipers, levels, dial indicators, and gage blocks. Many still made in USA at facilities in MA, OH, MN, and NC. Some products made overseas, so check origin.

Painting Tools & Accessories

CAN-GUN 1 (Ashland, OR): spray can handles that attach to any standard aerosol can (spray paints, lubricants, adhesives, window cleaners etc.) for ergonomic spraying with better control. Made in USA from recycled plastic.
Ladder’s Little Helper: an anti-slip ladder guide that fits over gutters and prevents side-to-side movement of your ladder while you are on it! Sounds like a great safety idea. Designed in Australia, but made in USA (Kansas City) with U.S. raw materials.
Little Giant Ladders (Springville, UT): adjustable A-frame ladders made from aluminum that are strong and light. All articulating ladders include 5 configurations: A-Frame, Staircase, 90 Degree ladder, Extension, and Scaffolding. Models made in USA (with foreign and domestic parts) include: Classic Ladder, Revolution, Super Duty, and Skyscraper. Other models made in China. Check the “specs” tab for the model you are interested in to see country of origin.
Purdy (Portland, OR): handcrafted paintbrushes in a variety of bristle types, lengths and widths. I love the feel of the wood handles. These fantastic brushes are still made in Portland, although the Purdy brand was purchased by Sherwin-Williams in 2004. My Father used no other brushes and I still have some of his 30+ year old paint brushes that I still use and they perform great.

Power Equipment

Briggs & Stratton (Wauwatosa, WI): manufacturers of small gasoline engines, based in Wisconsin and with additional facilities in AL, FL, KY, MO, and GA. Briggs & Stratton engines power many welders, pressure washers, and generators
Cyclo Toolmakers (Longmont, CO): polishers with dual orbiting heads for balanced, smooth polishing of bare metal or painted surfaces. Ideal for automotive, marine or RV finishes.
Lake Buchanan Industries (Buchanan Dam, TX): manufacturer of BarrelBlaster blast cabinets and pressure pot blasters, that work with a variety of abrasives including glass beads and walnut shells
Mi-T-M Corp. (Peosta, IA): pressure washers, generators, air compressors, and wet/dry vacs, manufactured in Iowa since 1971
Rizk National Industries (Warren, MI): American-made battery chargers, booster cables, and transformers
Montana Brand Tools (Ronan, MT): drill and drive sets, including titanium drill bits, magnetic screw guides and bit holders, and innovative tools like the Drill & Driver tool that allows drill and drive or countersink of screws without chucking new tools
Warn Industries (Clackamas, OR): Warn winches are mostly assembled in the USA with parts sourced worldwide. Warn has a design office, manufacturing facility, corporate offices, and distribution warehouse in Oregon. However, their Warn VR winches are both manufactured outside of the US.

Tool Organizers & Workbenches

BenchCrafted (Cedar Rapids, IA): manufacturer of woodworking vises and workbench accessories
American Workbench (Charleston, SC): hand-built wood workbenches with maple butcher block tops, custom height, recessed shelves so that you can pull up a stool, and your choice of stains. Awesome.
Flextur/Pioneer Industries (Dalton, OH): An Amish-owned company that builds excellent Welding Tables, Work Stations, Work Carts, Workbenches, and Pack Stations, as well and 5S organization accessories
Gerstner & Sons (Dayton, OH): although this family-owned company now has an “International Line”, they still make beautiful wooden tool chests in the USA. Shop from their “Made in USA” pages.
PDY Systems (Newport, TN): makers of Lift-N-Lok toolboxes with compartmented storage drawers, a storage bin for larger items, and a locking handle.
Wall Control (Tucker, GA): manufacturer of wall organizers systems, made in USA from 20-gauge steel with baked-on powder coat finish in a variety of colors. Similar in appearance to peg board, but stronger, and can be customized with hooks, brackets, shelves and bins.

Safety and Sunglasses

Gatorz Aluminum Eyewear (Poway, CA): sunglasses made with aircraft aluminum frames. Available from Fox Creek Leather
Oakley (Orange County, CA): high performance sunglasses and goggles, many still made in USA.

Welding Tools

Accu-Strike (Ord, NE): chin-operated welding helmet for hands-free welding or grinding. What a great idea.
Hobart Welders (Troy, OH): all Hobart MIG and stick welders are made in Ohio. (Hobart is owned by Illinois Tool Works). Available from NorthernTool.com
Miller Electric (Appleton, WI): all Miller welders are still made in Wisconsin. (Miller Electric is owned by Illinois Tool Works.) Available from MSC

Woodworking Tools

Barr Specialty Tools (McCall, ID): hand-forged woodworking tools, including chisels, knives, gouges, and mallets. These are beautiful, and worthy of including on my Handcraft Artisans page, but I think more folks will see them here.
BenchCrafted (Cedar Rapids, IA): manufacturer of woodworking vises and MAGIC BLOK magnetic tool holders for kitchen or workroom.
Blue Spruce Toolworks (Oregon City, OR): beautiful woodworking hand tools, including marking knives, scratch awls, chisels and mallets.
Bridge City Tool Works (Portland, OR): high-end woodworking hand tools, combining solid brass and rosewood for beauty and performance
Chappell Universal Square and Rule (Brownfield, ME): framing squares and other layout tools for today’s carpenter, made to last in USA from American-made stainless steel
Chattahoochee Pencil Co. (Atlanta, GA): unique drawing and marking tools made from a graphite composite, make thick and thin lines, and don’t need sharpening. Tools mark on most building and household materials.
Forrest Mfg. (Clifton, NJ): Forrest Saw Blades for table saws, radial arm saws and chop/miter saws, all made in USA. They make the finest Dado blade stack I have ever used/
INCRA Precision Tools (Dallas, TX): all INCRA woodworking tools are designed and manufactured in USA. Available from Rockler Woodworking and Hardware
Lie-Nielsen Toolworks (Warren, ME): quality woodworking tools, including block planes, bench planes, and chisels.
LumberJack Tools (Colorado Springs, CO): specialty cutting tools for timber framing or log furniture making, including tenon cutters, chamfer tools, and counter sink tools. All made in the USA from 6061 aluminum or steel.
Master Gage (Thousand Oaks, CA): precision tooling for aligning, calibrating and setting up woodworking machinery.
Noden Furniture Design (Trenton, NJ): Adjust-A-Bench allows easy changes to work surface height, to suit the woodworker and the work. Designed and manufactured in USA.
U.J. Ramelson Co. (Newark, NJ): woodworking and scribing tools of high carbon tool steel with wooden handles
Shopsmith, Inc. (Dayton, OH): Mark V and Mark 7 woodworking machines that deliver multiple tool functions (including lathe, table saw, disc sander, boring and routing) for the home woodworking shop.
Williams & Hussey Machine Co. (Milford, NH): manufacturing molder/planars and profile knives for woodworking professionals since the 1950’s
Woodmaster Tools (Kansas City, MO): since 1929, this company has been manufacturing versatile machines that are molder, planer, sander and saw in one.
Woodpeckers Inc. (North Royalton, OH): Woodpecker woodworking tools are designed and manufactured in U.S. (Most other brands on the site are also made in USA.)

Work Wear

Beagle Outdoor Wear (Johnson, VT): makers of warm, yet light, outdoor wear including wool jackets, coats, and pants. Designed to withstand cold Vermont winters.
Black Bear Brand (Seattle, WA): Most all of their items are designed and produced in America, with a few select items (denim) done with producers in Japan.
Carhartt (Dearborn, MI): This site carries only the USA-made Carhartt styles (e.g., relaxed fit B170, B177). Most everything else, included my beloved bib overalls, are made outside of the US.
Certified Jean Organic cotton grown, milled, and sewn in US.
Filson (Seattle, WA) Waxed Overalls, Quality Wool, Coats, Vests, Shirts, Leather Gear, Luggage & Bags
Fox Creek Leather (Independence, VA): motorcycle leathers for men and women, including jackets, vests, and chaps, as well as luggage and leather accessories.
Johnson Woolen Mills (Johnson, VT): warm and rugged woolen shirt jackets, coats, and pants
Pendleton (Pendleton, OR): men’s woolen shirts and jackets, rugged, warm and always in style. Shirts are imported, but made from woolen cloth woven in Pendleton.
L.C. King/Pointer Brand (Bristol, TN): regular, carpenter, and overalls, plus hickory (railroad) stripe
Round House Brand (Shawnee, OK): overalls of denim, stone wash, hickory (railroad) stripe, brown duck, camouflage, and painter
Schaefer Outfitter (Mesilla Park, NM): outerwear for men and women, for on or off the ranch, in brushcloth, wool, and denim. All made in USA.
Sterlingwear of Boston (East Boston, MA): manufacturer of authentic Navy Pea Coats for men, women, and kids. Beautifully made of wool, will last for years and years.
Union Line/GrayBear (Various States): Jeans, Jackets, and Overalls. Union-made, no rivets