Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago

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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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PH McCarthy 1921:
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