Darra-James Corp. was one of the innumerable makers of home-shop woodworking machinery that sprang up after World War II, this particular business being established in June of 1945. The Darra-James machines were mainly made of aluminum. By January 1948 the company name had changed to ToolKraft Corp.
ToolKraft made home-shop machines that were sold under a variety of labels, including ToolKraft, Darra James, Powr-Kraft (Montgomery Ward), DeWalt (jointer, shaper), Duramark (T. Eaton Co.) and others; look for model numbers with the prefix "THS".
Address (1949 Popular Mechanics): Waterbury 91, Connecticut.
ToolKraft remained in business until the 2010s; for the couple of years they were not making new machines but were providing parts and service. By 2020 their website was no longer working.
Ad from October 1946 "Popular Science", before the name change to "Toolkraft Corp."
Information Sources
- The Internet Archive for toolkraft.com provides snapshots of that website spanning January 2000 to February 2020. It appears that the website disappeared shortly after that latter date.
- A 1946 Wood Working Digest has this snippet visible through Google Books: "SMALL POWER TOOLS The new line of wood-working power tools made by Darra-James Corp., 96 North Main St., Waterbury 14, Conn., are rust-proof and completely..."
- A 1946 School Shop provides some corroboration via a snippet visible through Google Books: "Power Tools: Darra-James Corp. 447-451 Meadow St. Waterbury, Conn...."
- Ads in January through June 1947 issues of Home Craftsman. The ads show a 7" tilting-table saw and a combination disk and drum sander.
- According to the trademark filing, the ToolKraft name was first used in 1948.
- The Massachusetts corporate registry database lists ToolKraft Corp.'s first registration as 1956-09-27.
- A 1948 issue of School Shop lists "Toolkraft Corp. 449 Meadow St. PO Box 431 Waterbury 86, Conn." The street address is more or less the same as the street address for Darra-James Corp. in the 1946 issue quoted above.
- The November 1949 issue of Popular Mechanics has a small classified ad reading as follows: "DARRA-JAMES Power tools pay off! Save money: have fun in your own home workshop. Free illustrated folder: Dept M, Toolkraft Corp., Waterbury, Conn." The November 1949 issue of Popular Science carried a nearly identical ad, the only notable difference being the company name: "Tool-Kraft Corp."
- A 1950 trademark filing by Toolkraft Corp., for the Darra James logo, includes the following information.
The trade-mark was first used by applicant on January 28, 1948, and first used in commerce among the several States of the United States which may be lawfully regulated by Congress on February 1, 1948. It was first used on June 1, 1945, by applicant's predecessors in business from whom title is derived.
- According to their one-page web site, they ceased manufacturing in 1984.