1946
In 1940 an enterprising pattern-maker, William Joseph Henry, started a manufacturing plant in a small garage in his backyard. The firm produced one product—bench vises—which were in high demand by the armed services; early examples are marked with a model name ("Falcon" or "Craftool") and model number (e.g., 5, 60), "Made in Canada", and then "London" and "Craftool" or "Craftools" on the underside.
In 1940 or soon afterward, Craftools Ltd. was created. Over the next 4 years the business grew and by 1944 Craftools was manufacturing arbor presses, buffers, grinders and their line of vises. During World War II they supplied all the vises used by the Canadian mobile army workshop trucks in England, Italy, Russia, China and India. They also made their vises for air force repair shops, army training schools and naval yards. In 1944 they built a foundry to produce their own castings. By 1949 Craftools was the largest supplier of vises in Canada.
In 1945 Mr. Henry formed a second company, Henry Power Tools Ltd., to leverage their craftsmen, foundry and casting expertise into a line of woodworking machinery. Mr. Henry oversaw the engineering specifications for the whole “Craftmaster” line, which included bandsaws, jointers, lathes and other machinery.
Their quality reputation grew and in 1947 Henry Power Tools expanded to respond to increased US and world demand. They expanded into the US as well as India, Australia, South Africa, and many countries in Africa. By this time it was the largest manufacturing firm of its kind in Canada.
In 1947 Mr. Henry died at the age of 44. His widow, Mrs. Viola Henry was active in the business and continued to run it along with the General Manager, John Gilchrist.
In 1951 Mrs. Henry sold her position in the two companies to a group of local Londoners headed by Mr. Gilchrist, who became the President of both firms. Under his guidance the two companies continued to expand. In 1953 both firms were sold to the Ex-Cell-O Corporation of Canada, Ltd., a newly-created subsidiary of Michigan-based Ex-Cell-O Machine Tools Inc., makers of tooling for the automotive industry. At the same time the power tools line was sold to a local machinery distributor, Strongridge Ltd. of London. Ex-Cell-O Machine Tools of Canada, Ltd., went on to manufacture heavy, high-precision machine tools; see the Ex-Cell-O entry for their subsequent history and products. Meanwhile Strongridge manufactured and sold Henry Power Tools under their name for about three decades before offshore competition killed the business.
Before 1953, Henry Power Tools's Craftmaster line was sold in the USA by Porter-Cable, badged with the Craftmaster and Porter-Cable names. It appears that that OEM arrangement ceased when Strongridge bought Henry. Foster Manufacturing Co. also put their name on Henry tools, including the tablesaw shown on the cover of an undated catalog.
We have seen many vises bearing the "Henry" name. So far as we know these vises were made by Craftools, Ltd., rather than by Henry Power Tools, although the division between the firms existed more in bookkeeping than on the shop floor.
Brand Names
Craftools and Henry Power Tools used multiple brand names on their tools and machines. We have seen vises bearing the names Falcon and Henry. And we have seen woodworking machines bearing the names Craftmaster and Bulldog. These products, especially vises, were often not marked with the full company name but rather just Craftool, Craftools, or Henry, plus London and Canada.
Do you have more information?
I am especially interested in woodworking machinery manufacturers from Ontario, so if you have any information on relevant woodworking machinery companies and products, I strongly urge you to contact Jeff Joslin.
Other Resources
Information Sources
- The historical information given here is courtesy of Matthew Asser of Oshawa, Ontario.
- The Foster connection came from an owwm.org posting by Bob Holcombe.
- One vise we have seen is labeled "HENRY" and "6" on one side, "MADE IN CANADA" on the other, and "CRAFTOOLS / LONDON" on the underside. Another is labeled, "CRAFTOOL / LONDON" on the underside, and "60 / FALCON / MADE IN CANADA" on the sides. We have seen a couple of mentions of "Crafttools" vises, made in London, Canada; so far as we know "Crafttools" is a mis-reading of "Craftools".
- 1953 issue of Automotive Industries, vol. 109, p. 71.
...H. Glenn Bixby, Ex-Cell-O president. A wholly-owned subsidiary, Ex-Cell-O Corp. of Canada, Ltd., has been formed and negotiations have been completed to acquired by purchase all of the assets, except cash, of Henry Power Tools, Ltd., and Craftools, Ltd., both of London, Ontario. The transfer of the properties will be effective as of November 1. At the present time Henry Power Tools and Craftools are engaged in light and heavy machining work, miscellaneous jobbing, foundry work and produce a line of home workshop power tools. Ex-Cell-of Canada will continue the present operations except the power tools business which has been sold to Strongridge Ltd. , of London , Ontario . It is expected that the London plant will soon start producing some of the standard Ex-Cell-O products, such as drill jig bushings and railroad pins and bushings. In the future the list of standard Ex- Cell-O products manufactured in Canada will be expanded.
- 1953 issue of Industrial Canada.Ex-Cell-O Corporation of Canada Limited, London, Ont.—This is a wholly owned subsidiary of a Michigan firm with a similar name. It has bought the assets of Henry Power Tools Ltd. and Craftools Ltd., both of 120 Weston Street, London. These two firms have been engaged in light and medium heavy machining work, miscellaneous jobbing, foundry work and the manufacture of home workshop power tools. The new Canadian subsidiary will continue all these operations except the power tool business, which has been sold to Strongridge Limited, also of London. Standard Ex-Cell-O products will be made and the list will be expanded. The buildings are being enlarged and additional equipment installed. John Gilchrist, President of Henry Power Tools Ltd. and Craftools Ltd., will be Managing Director of the new organization.