Western Forge Corporation

Company History

The Western Forge Corporation was founded in 1965 by C. William Schlosser as a joint venture with Sears Roebuck. At that time Schlosser was the president of the Lectrolite division of Symington-Wayne and had decades of experience in the hand tools business. The company initially operated in Defiance, Ohio as a maker of torque wrenches.

In 1966 Western Forge relocated to Colorado Springs, Colorado and built a large forging facility, with the intention of producing a wide variety of forged tools for the Craftsman brand. Early production at the new factory included screwdrivers, chisels, and punches.

Over time the company broadened its production to include adjustable wrenches, pliers, pry bars, wrenches, chain pipe wrenches, gear pullers, and other tools.

As a major supplier to the Sears Craftsman brand Western Forge marked its production with a "WF" code, often as part of the forging dies.

The Western Forge Brand

In its early history the company worked exclusively as a contract manufacturer, but in 1978 the company started selling tools under its own "WESTERN FORGE" brand. In late 1978 the company filed a trademark application for "WESTERN FORGE" in a design.

Acquisition by Emerson Electric

In 1981 Western Forge was acquired by Emerson Electric, a conglomerate with extensive manufacturing operations. By 1990 the company had more than 1,000 employees at its Colorado locations.

Western Forge Corp.: Issued and Licensed Patents
Patent No.	Inventor	Filed	Issued	Notes and Examples
3,854,351	R. Martin	08/17/1928	09/09/1930	Arc Joint Pliers

Western Forge Corp.: Registered Trademarks
Text Mark or Logo	Reg. No.	First Use	Date Filed	Date Issued	Notes
Western Forge	1,153,618	02/09/1978	12/21/1978	05/12/1981	Text "WESTERN FORGE". For metal tool boxes. Canceled on November 13, 1987.
	1,188,413	02/09/1978	12/21/1978	02/02/1982	Text "WESTERN FORGE" with design. For hand tools. Now owned by Ideal Industries, Inc.

References and Resources

Photographs and observations of particular tools are based on items in the Alloy Artifacts Collection.

Background information on the company can be found in an article on Western Forge [External Link] published in the February 18, 2020 edition of The Colorado Gazette.

Catalog Resources

Currently we do not have any catalogs for Western Forge.

Selected Tools

Western Forge operated almost exclusively as a contract manufacturer and its products were marked with other companies' brands.

Craftsman 45372 "WF" 6¾ Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers

[Craftsman 45372 WF ¾ Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers]

Fig. 1. Craftsman 45372 "WF" 6¾ Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers, with Insets for Back Side and Side View, ca. Mid 1970s to Early 1980s.

Fig. 1 shows a pair of Craftsman 45372 6¾ inch slip-joint combination pliers, stamped with "=Craftsman=" plus the model number and "USA" near the pivot.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the dimpled gripping pattern.

The overall length is 6.7 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

The pliers are also stamped with a "WF" manufacturer's code indicating production by Western Forge.

The model 45372 pliers were first listed in the 1973 Craftsman catalog and remained available until at least 1981.

Craftsman 45381 "WF" 9.5 Inch "Arc-Joint" Waterpump Pliers

Fig. 2. Craftsman 45381 "WF" 9.5 Inch "Arc-Joint" Waterpump Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. Mid 1980s.

Fig. 2 shows a pair of Craftsman 45381 9.5 inch "Arc-Joint" (tongue-and-groove) waterpump pliers with black plastic hand grips, stamped with the Craftsman double-line logo and "USA".

The overall length is 10.1 inches fully extended, and the finish is chrome plating.

The pliers are also stamped with a "WF" code, indicating production by Western Forge.

The 1985 Craftsman catalog lists the model 45381 pliers and notes the vinyl hand grips.

Craftsman 44604 "WF" 10 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 3. Craftsman 44604 "WF" 10 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Back Side, Side View, and Marking Detail, ca. Late 1970s to 1980s.

Fig. 3 shows a later Craftsman 44604 10 inch adjustable wrench, marked with the "=Craftsman=" logo forged into the front, with "Forged in USA" and the model number forged into the back.

The back side also has a forged-in "WF" code near the hanging hole, as seen in the lower inset.

The overall length is 10.1 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

One construction detail to note is that the pin for the adjusting knurl is permanently crimped in place.

The "WF" code indicates production by Western Forge.

Craftsman 4283 "WF" 16 Inch Pry Bar and Alignment Punch

Fig. 4. Craftsman 4283 "WF" 16 Inch Pry Bar and Alignment Punch, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1970s to 1980s.

Fig. 4 shows a Craftsman 4283 "WF" 16 inch pry bar and alignment punch, stamped with "U.S.A." and "=Craftsman=" on the shank, with "Wear Safety Goggles" and the model number on the opposite side.

The overall length is 16.0 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

The shank is also stamped with a "WF" code, indication production by Western Forge.

The pry bar is constructed from 1/2 square stock and has an angled 5/8 flat blade at one end, with a tapered punch at the other end.