I just picked up another Craftsman combo wrench marked JAPAN. Front side is marked 5/8 CRAFTSMAN and the back side is marked 5/8 MOLYBDENUM 44697 BF JAPAN. What time frame were these sold by Sears ? I have 2 others that are 15MM in size. All 3 were in new condition when found. I used one of the 15MM for at least 15 years at work almost everyday and it is still in good condition. In all the years I have been buying C-man tools I have only found these 3 wrenches marked JAPAN. I have yet to find any used ones marked CHINA. The wrench appears to be well made. Japan has come along way since toys made from tin cans that were turned inside out to hide the original markings on them. Now a days I rarely see anything marked Made in JAPAN.

EvilDr235

That mark (BF) was used aprox. 1969 to 1983 but I don't think it was used that long on those wrenches. Probably only to the mid 70's. There were other Sears tools that also had that mark that were produced later mainly Sears  and Companion marked tools. These Japanese wrenches are very well made and held up well. 
As far as the newer Chinesium Craftsman tools I am not positive but I don't think you will find them marked as made in china. I think it will only be on the packaging that they come in.

I've got quite a few BF craftys. I bought a full set of SAE combos back in the early 80s that are marked Japan. They've held up just as well as any American made craftsman tools that I own. I've also got a set of pipe wrenches marked BF and Japan and again they are top notch tools.
At the farm I have a BF pipe wrench that isn't a craftsman but its the exact same tool. I cant recall what it is but the next time I'm down there I'll look and see. When I picked it up I was surprised to see the BF designation and Japan on it. I tried swapping out the jaw with the crafty pipe wrench and it was an exact fit.


I would grab every BF Craftsman tool I found. They're good stuff.

I have enough U.S.A. Craftsman tools to last many life times. I will still buy BF Japan C-man tools till I find someone that wants them for their collection. I don't collect P&C tools, but because they were made just about 20 minutes from where I live there is many in good condition to be found, so I keep buying them til I find someone that wants them more then me. At the moment I have about 400 P&C tools. I have always had good service from C-man tools. I have broke some chrome sockets using them with a impact gun because a impact socket was too thick to fit the job. Never broke a ratchet, wrench or screwdriver.

EvilDr235

I remember reading GG or GJ that Canada got a lot of the Japanese Craftsman

I I have some, and folks are often surprised to see Japan on it

"Made in Japan" implied quality, not dreck, pretty early.  Keep in mind that the Nikon S2 camera, an homage to the German rangefinder cameras like Leica made in the 1950s, was an excellent camera.

Although...the Japanese automobiles were pretty marginal into the late 1960s.  They did a lot of copying of engines and design features from other countries.  I vividly remember driving a late 60s Toyota Corona (what I think of as the Norelco Razor Design period at Toyota - google 1968 Toyota Corona if you're too young to remember them) from Michigan to California, and the two-speed automatic was a disaster on any hill steeper than what you find in Kansas; the motor was too weak for top gear, and screaming in the lower gear.   I'm not sure what, exactly, happened in the 1970s that led to the tremendous advances the major Japanese automakers made, but, by the late 70s, their automotive engineers were some of the best in the world.

Thanks for reminding us Phil, I had forgotten about the Canadian Craftsman.

I agree Bill, most of the made in Japan I find  has been good or better quality

I have a set of Japanese made Craftsman metric combo wrenches 7-18MM marked the same as the o.p.. They were purchased new around 1983-1984 in the U.S.. Other than the exclusion of the 19mm size, I have had no issues with them.

Good to know MAD. I was under the impression that the wrenches didn't run that long before going back to US made. I guess my impression was wrong but that sure wouldn't be the first time.

Did C-man have other hand tools besides wrenches that were made in JAPAN ? About 20 ? years ago I saw some 3/4 inch C-man sockets at Sears that were marked Made in Taiwan. So far I have not seen anybody selling older USA marked tools as rare, valuable, hard to find antiques, but sooner or later it will happen. Sears has sold countless millions of tools over the years. Even if Sears starts selling USA made tools again, I will probably never buy any.

EvilDr235

I have seen the 3/4 Taiwan Cman sockets also

Quote from: MAD on July 21, 2018, 03:22:07 PM
I have a set of Japanese made Craftsman metric combo wrenches 7-18MM marked the same as the o.p.. They were purchased new around 1983-1984 in the U.S.. Other than the exclusion of the 19mm size, I have had no issues with them.

I had an SAE set of short combos from that same time frame, they came in a yellow plastic pouch IIRC. Never had any issues, even used them for work for a few years.
Heck, didn't even have any chrome peel off those wrenches. Good tools!