S•K Tools Company History & Lore - New 2025 Edition

The Sherman-Klove company, or SK Tools, is another iconic American tool company. Let's dig through the ruins of the Chicago factory, and see if we can piece together their full story.

Further Reading:
http://alloy-artifacts.org/sherman-klove.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SK_Hand_Tools

Berland's House of Tools:
https://www.berlandstools.com/history/

Old SK Catalogs:
https://archive.org/search?query=sherman+klove
https://archive.org/search?query=SK+Tools&and%5B%5D=mediatype%3A%22texts%22

Mason Sherman Bios:
https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/mason-hall-sherman-24-22klf3b
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Who_s_who_in_Chicago/dTDTAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA792

Noah Klove Bios:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Who_s_who_in_Chicago/dTDTAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA492
https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_History_of_the_Norwegians_of_Illinois/9WRBAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA389

Klove leaves Sandow in 1916:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Motor_Truck/uTQ6AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=sandow%20

Sandow Truck Poster Ad 1917:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Poster/7jNGAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=RA3-PA43

1916 founding:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Report_of_the_Secretary_of_State/u7nfRj1mhd4C?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA82

Noah Klove Out 1924:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Journal_of_the_Society_of_Automotive/oW0fAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=RA3-PA8

1927 New Factory announcement:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Central_Manufacturing_District_Magazine/Kjg_SxQ53OoC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=RA9-PA25

Theodore Rueb patents:
https://patents.google.com/?inventor=Theodore+O+Rueb

1937 Factory Expansion:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Economist/vYUeAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA284

1941 out of nut & bolt business:
https://archive.org/details/sim_industry-week_1941-04-07_108_14/page/108/mode/2up

SK Sold to Corcoran:
https://books.google.com/books?id=zpuQdQOtSysC&pg=PA135&hl=en

SK vs Dresser 1988:
https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2011417/sk-hand-tool-corp-v-dresser-industries-inc/

Stanley Buys Facom 2005:
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/stanley-works-higher-after-making-bid-for-facom-tools

Sycamore Plant Photos:
https://www.jlconline.com/tools/hand-tools/a-trip-to-the-socket-factory_o

Brazil Can to Stamping 1913:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Industrial_World/nM8cAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA273

Brazil IN plant shut down 1919:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Iron_Age_and_Hardware_Iron_and_Industria/QNUcAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA1126

Brazil Factory Sales:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Iron_Age_and_Hardware_Iron_and_Industria/r9IcAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA397
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Iron_Age/kM8cAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=RA2-PA347

PH McCarthy 1921:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Directory_of_Illinois_Manufacturers/8EB9rLtvFucC?hl=en&pg=PA1234

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:45 Sherman and Klove
02:06 Brazil Tools
04:17 The Origins of SK
05:09 Theodore Rueb Inventions
06:15 Lectrolite Era
07:13 Wayne Era
07:35 Dresser Era
08:28 Corcoran Lawsuit
09:37 Facom Era
10:50 Ideal Era
12:08 GreatStar Era
14:28 Berland's House of Tools
15:23 Outro