Artisan Manufacturing Co. of Lockland, Ohio, was in business by 1919 and was making a belt shifter. By 1920 the company had relocated to Cincinnati. In early 1922 they introduced an 11x24 gap-bed lathe of distinctive design—a product that became their most popular.

From October 1922 QST magazine

In 1926, following the bankruptcy of John Steptoe & Co., Artisan acquired the rights to Steptoe milling machines, and the following year a small Artisan universal miller was announced. Before that, though, they introduced a combination machine consisting of lathe, drill press, arbor press, vise and grinder.

The company disappeared after 1927. Their lathe line was eventually acquired by Rocky Mountain Steel Products Inc., of Los Angeles.

Information Sources

• The lathes.co.uk site has a page on this maker.
• The 1922 Engineering Directory lists Artisan Mfg. Co., Lockland, Ohio, as a maker of belt shifters.
• 1922-02-23 American Machinist has an article on this company's 11 x 24-inch gap-bed lathe.
• March 1922 Machinery has an article on the new Artisan 11x24 gap-bed lathe.
• March 1922 Western Machinery World has an article on the new Artisan 11x24 gap-bed lathe.
• August 1922 American Machine & Tool Record

  Artisan Manufacturing Co.. Cincinnati, has issued a 4-page folder illustrating and describing its 11-in. swing, 24 ins. between centers, "Artisan" Lathe arranged for motor drive, a tool that is designed to meet satisfactorily all requirements of the lathe hand within its capacity and which has been designed particularly for the general machinist, tool maker, pattern maker, garage mechanic, gun or locksmith, electrician, etc.

• The October 1922 QST (a magazine for amateur radio operators) carried an ad for the Artisan 11x24 gap-bed lathe.
• 1926 issues of Popular Mechanics carried the following classified ad.

  "ARTISAN" Lathe! Greatest machine built for Experimenter, Mechanic, Repairman. 11" Swing; 1" Gap; 24" Centers; Graduated Compound; Quick-change Gears. Accurate, compact, powerful. Largest capacity; lowest price. Free Catalog. Write Today. Artisan Manufacturing Company, 831 West Sixth St.. Cincinnati. Ohio.

• A 1926 issue of The Iron Age has the following snippet.

  ...of the assets of the John Steptoe Co., Cincinnati, machine tool manufacturer, the Rahn-Larmon Co., Cincinnati, ... manufacturing rights of the Steptoe lathe; the Western Machine Tool Co., Holland, Mich., bought the patterns and manufacturing rights of the Steptoe shapers; and the Artisan Mfg. Co., Cincinnati, was the successful bidder for the patterns and manufacturing rights of the Steptoe milling machines... The sale marks the passing of the first company to make machine tools in Cincinnati, John Steptoe having come from England in 1845 to establish a shop in the city.

• A 1926 issue of Bus Transportation has the following snippet.

  ...every-day jobs in a garage has been developed by the Artisan Manufacturing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio. The outfit consists of a lathe, drill press, arbor press, vise and grinder...

• A 1927 issue of Pacific Factory has the following snippet.

  The Artisan Manufacturing Company, 845 Hathaway street, Cincinnati, Ohio has recently placed on the market a small universal milling machine, incorporating many novel features, and with capacity as follows : Table travel — 14 in. ...