Over at Harry Epstein’s – a hand tool supplier that specializes in USA-made tools – they have set the date for an SK discount day. On September 23rd and 24th (2014), Harry Epstein will be offering a 5% to 20% discount on ALL SK products.
Check out the announcement for more details.
The goal of the promotion is to boost awareness and support for SK Hand Tools, a company that only a couple of years ago was rocked by bankruptcy. Now under Ideal ownership, SK is once again thriving and innovating.
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We have been testing out a couple new SK tools, and the quality is really something. These past few months I have checked out offerings my Williams, Wright, Proto, and a couple of other top-shelf brands, and have found compromises with some of these brands tools. SK has been the only brand that hasn’t disappointed me once.
We’ll be reviewing a couple of SK tools prior to the SK discount day, so keep your eyes peeled.
The best way to plan for Harry Epstein’s SK Day is to check out the SK full line catalog (PDF) and jot down some model numbers.
Hang Fire
I would consider August 23, 2010 to be four years ago, but I do like SK tools. I occasionally buy a small SK set as a gift for myself.
After losing a box full of Craftsman years ago I standardized on SK, right before the whole long sorry story of them putting out cheap tools, the FACOM years, the managers buying out the company, and now the recovery. Finding them on the market as anything but old stock at high priced mail order has been difficult at times. As a result I now have a real mish-mash of tool brands instead of the all SK set I wanted. It is good to see availability is back again.
Stuart
Four is still a couple of years. =)
Right after the bankruptcy and acquisition, things were still in a state of turmoil. I remember there being a lot of complaints about pre-sale product quality that still made its way to sellers, and warranty issues. That’s why I didn’t just say “four years,” because the issues didn’t immediately go away. That’s all in the past now, and I find myself really impressed with the company and its products as they are today.
fred
I’ve had my eye on an SK Tamper Proof Hex socket set 19749 – but I’m not sure that 20% off list is any better than its $76.99 price (with free shipping) at Tooltopia. I guess that I’ll wait and see.
Joshua Latham
I might have to pick up a 3/8 flex head ratchet, and maybe a few more things. I have picked up some old SK ratchets through ebay over the years and they are stout. I like the commitment to American manufacturing and their no hassle warranty. Good stuff SK and Harry J. Epsteins.
Dan
I will most likely take this opportunity and buy a couple of SK items and some other things and import them to the UK I’m thinking a 1/4″ set and some short pattern combination wrenches, last time with shipping and taxes it cost a bit more in £ than the tools were in $ but the exchange rate has improved since then Its only worth doing if its reasonable order and for stuff you cant get here. Epstein’s are really good and it really nice that they ship worldwide.
harry
This event was organized by a group of guys wanting to support American made tools and a small business (Epstein’s). It’s not meant for the bargain hunter looking for super deals. It’s more about buying American Made Tools at a decent price while supporting the whole chain that goes from raw materials, to manufacturing, to distribution, to the brown truck that delivers your tools. This will probably be the largest event tried so far.
fred
Thanks for the information. Having run a successful business for many years I can appreciate the sentiments that you express. We always tried to put the customer first and treated our employees with the same respect – recognizing that both were the underpinnings of a successful business. For the 40+ years that I was involved in day to day operations I saw a number of shifts in where we bought the tools and materials used in our businesses. For many years we had relationships with local hardware stores, lumber yards and industrial suppliers. When we needed something not readily available – we often let a local supplier be the middleman in the transaction. Once Home Depot drove most of our local hardware stores out of business – for better or worse we resorted to buying more and more from them – particularly for the odds and ends we needed on a daily basis for site work. Our relationships with suppliers like AW Meyer (local to a lot of our work), Grainger and Fastenal continued – but we lost some of that personal touch that we once had with suppliers. With the explosion of internet buying, things seem to have become much more impersonal. I should know better, but sometimes it’s hard for me (and I suspect others too) to look beyond price when shopping the internet. Naturally, when you have had a bad experience with a supplier – or see lots of negative reviews – then you shy away. But other times it’s hard to know if “Cheap Charlie’s Internet Tool Store” is any worse than “High Quality Larry’s Purveyor of Quality Tools”. Perhaps it’s the impersonal nature of the computer transaction – or the physical distance involved -although I once used to talk with folks at Goldblatt in KC – calling them from the east coast . It is, therefore, good to be reminded from time to time that some internet tool sources like HJE have a set of goals and principles that are worth something.
Bull
Does anyone on here have a relationship with Tooltopia? Does Tooltopia talk to you, on a forum, about tools, American manufacturing and business ethics? Does anyone know Tooltopia’s business model, or how it treats its customers, or whether brands like SK even support its pricing structure? Does Tooltopia care about American manufacturing?
I don’t know any of the answers to these questions, but I sure know where Harry J. Epstein stands on all of this: it is firmly behind American values and American industry. I’ll throw extra dollars at them for SK Day and leave the nickel and dime games to someone else.
Bull
Should read “how it treats its employees,” actually.