Craftsman tools is owned by Stanley Black & Decker, which bought the Craftsman brand from Sears in a deal completed in March 2017.

Who owns Craftsman tools?

  • The Craftsman brand (hand tools, power tools, lawn and garden, storage, etc.) is now owned and managed by Stanley Black & Decker, a large global tool manufacturer.
  • As part of the sale, Sears kept a long-term license that lets it keep selling Craftsman-branded products through its own channels under specific terms, even though it no longer owns the brand.

Quick timeline

  • 1927: Sears acquires the Craftsman name and uses it as its in‑house tool brand for decades.
  • January 2017: Stanley Black & Decker announces a deal (valued around 900 million dollars) to acquire the Craftsman brand from Sears Holdings.
  • March 2017: The acquisition closes and Stanley Black & Decker becomes the official owner of Craftsman tools.

Why you still see Craftsman at different stores

  • Because of the licensing agreement, Sears can still sell Craftsman‑branded tools through its own remaining stores and channels, even though it no longer owns the brand itself.
  • Stanley Black & Decker, as the owner, also distributes Craftsman through other major retailers such as Lowe’s and other outlets, so the same brand shows up in multiple places under the same corporate owner.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.