On Nov. 7, 1929, The Stanley Works filed for incorporation of a new subsidiary, Stanley Electric Tool Co. The new firm immediately purchased the assets of Unishear Co., Inc. and Ajax Electric Hammer Corp., both of New York City. The next month it announced the purchase of Crowe Safety Saw Co., Inc., of Cincinnati, and R. L. Carter Co., Inc., of Syracuse, NY.

While Stanley Electric Tools is best known for making handheld power tools, Stanley also made stationary machines for woodworking (overarm router, pedestal shaper) and metalworking (floor shears, bench and pedestal grinders). Some of their bench grinders were actually made by Kingston-Conley Electric Co. We have also seen an undated brochure on eBay depicting the Stanley Handyman H5 combination tool, a small table saw-jointer-grinder-disc sander.

We have seen some Stanley metalworking machines, including both floor shears and portable shears. Their lineup of handheld power tools also included some metalworking items such as sheet metal nibblers.

Stanley appears to have discontinued electric tools when its New Bern, NC, plant was sold to Robert Bosch in mid-1980.

Information Sources

• Hartford Courant, Nov. 8, 1929, Pg. 19.
• The Akron Beacon Journal, Dec. 18, 1929, Pg. 30.
• Address (1950 Popular Mechanics): 127 Elm St, New Britain, Connecticut.
• According to the history section of the Bosch U.S. website, in 1980 "Robert Bosch Power Tool Corporation [was] established in New Bern, NC through acquisition of the power tools division of The Stanley Works, a leading U.S. producer of hardware and tools."
• Stanley Electric Tools catalogs from 1950 and 1952 are available at Archive.org.
• The News and Observer, Tue., July 1, 1980