Who Makes the Williams Brand Tools?

The Williams brands tool was started in 1882 by James Harvey Williams and Matthew Diamond as a drop forging business. It was referred to as Williams and Diamond and was based in Flushing, Queens. In 1884. The business was relocated to Brooklyn and took the name J.H Williams & Co in 1887. It was one of the first companies to offer mass-produced drop-forged hand tools.

In 1893, Williams won special praise for its distinctive, highly-polished sycamore wood display during the Chicago World’s Fair due to its attention to detail and precision. It produced tools unique in quality, arrangement, and refinement. The Williams brand was ahead of its time, from recycling oil to having its own fireproof architecture and a private fire department.

As early as 1905, the Williams brand was already shipping its products to various countries like Chile, South Africa, and France. In 1914, Williams moved its production facility to Buffalo, New York. Here it employed 800 workers.

In 1926, Williams super wrenches drop-forged from selected alloy steel in a box, and open-end patterns were quickly accepted by mechanics. This was because of their light, balanced design and great strength. Williams introduced a flexible wrench system called “super” sockets, which included sockets, handles, and accessories ranging in size from 3/16” to 3-1/8”.

To celebrate 100 years in 1982, Williams introduced the industry’s first modular flat and socket wrenches. The same year included a complete line of tool sets for the offshore energy industry. When the flat wrench proved ineffective in some applications, Williams invented the 15 degrees offset wrench to improve access and leverage. Williams invented the largest pipe wrench in the world at the time, which was unique in size, capacity, and power.

As American electronics technology grew, Williams introduced some of the first industrial application-specific sets; the “combination Electrical Wrench Set”. It had a sliding t-handle drive, four double-end wrenches, and eight sockets, all in a case that could be in the palm of a technician’s hand. Williams’s “Superrench” wrenches and the entire line of “Super” ratchets, sockets, and toolboxes set the standards for the 20th century hardest working industrial hand tools.

Snap-on acquired Williams Industrial in 1993. In 2011, it was officially renamed to Snap-on Industrial Brand. Today, with world-class factories across the United States, Williams continues to deliver a brand of tools that is ready to work. From industrial hydraulics to torque solutions to tools at height, Williams is performing alongside you every day.