Gerstners from China

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Paul T.

Cast Iron

Joined

Sep 10, 2004

Location

California

• Mar 31, 2006

• #1

I guess it had to happen eventually for them to be able to stay in business. Gerstner, the manufacturer of probably the best US made machinist tool boxes is now heavily promoting ones they are importing from "asia".

http://www.penntoolco.com/catalog/products/products.cfm?categoryID=5864&penntoolcoAdID=97

I wonder if this means they are going to totally eliminate any US manufacturing?

Paul T.

 

William E Williams

Hot Rolled

Joined

Jun 1, 2005

Location

South Western PA

• Mar 31, 2006

• #2

I seem to recall that the liquidated the steel box plant about a year ago.

Ted

 

M

mmambro

Cast Iron

Joined

Oct 16, 2003

Location

NYC

• Mar 31, 2006

• #3

I guess the economic pressures of consumer decisions will determine what happens.

I understand that even the US made chests have been redesigned with collectors of small objects in mind. I don't think they believe Gerstner expects many of their chests to wind up in a machine shop.

Mike

 

G

Gruning

Aluminum

Joined

Jan 17, 2003

Location

California

• Mar 31, 2006

• #4

Last years WESTEC I was talking to the Gerstner folks and they informed me that only 10% of the "toolboxes" were used for tools or for machinists for that matter.

 

matt_isserstedt

Diamond

Joined

Dec 15, 2003

Location

suburbs of Ann Arbor, MI, USA

• Mar 31, 2006

• #5

My understanding is the classic toolboxes we all lust for in quartersawn oak, walnut and cherry will continue to be offered as USA manufactured products right from Dayton, OH.

The Gerstner-International (China) toolboxes are of course an attempt to capture the a segment of the cheap wood toolbox market that you see in HF, Northern, etc.

Gerstner still remains family owned by the descendents of Harry Gerstner, and they seem to be doing all the right things, IMHO, to innovate into new markets and to keep their business alive and sell their product to paying customers, be they machinists, sewing bees, fly-tyers or gun collectors.

The alternative, sit back on their same product line, tap their "brand equity" say screw you we're USA-manufactured only and do what they've always done doesn't seem to be getting it in many industries these days.

 

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fizzissist

Cast Iron

Joined

Mar 17, 2006

Location

Reno NV

• Apr 1, 2006

• #6

So, do I get a big Gerstner to hold my collection of cheap little Chinese toolboxes, or a cheap big Chinese toolbox to hold my collection of Gerstners?

I love my 062 in Oak.

 

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art_deco_machine

Guest

• Apr 2, 2006

• #7

I wanted to make my own. I thought at one time you could get the plans with all the metal parts. But last I checked on Gerstner's web site, you could get a kit of all the unfinished wooden parts and metal parts for about half price of a completed box.

 

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bob308

Hot Rolled

Joined

Feb 14, 2006

Location

littlestown pa.

• Apr 9, 2006

• #8

i was at the harley dealer they have a harley gerstner it is the small box 6 drawer guess what the price is?

 

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Paul Cataldo

Stainless

Joined

Dec 9, 2004

Location

Atlanta, GA

• Apr 9, 2006

• #9

art deco,
I have never seen a Gerstner kit that you can build/finish yourself.
I searched the Gerstner site, but no sign of this.
Any more info?

 

Lanso

Cast Iron

Joined

Mar 16, 2013

Location

Cerritos, CA

• Apr 23, 2017

• #10

They have that now.

 

Oldwrench

Titanium

Joined

May 21, 2009

Location

Wyoming, USA

• Apr 24, 2017

• #11

About 25 years ago I saw a pretty nice Gerstner copy in one of the big-box stores like Costco, billed as "Made in Taiwan of American oak." It was less than fifty bucks and my wife bought one. I thought then that it was just a matter of time. I went on the Penn Tool site and I see Gerstner is phasing out the handbook drawer...

 

S

sch

Hot Rolled

Joined

Feb 11, 2004

Location

Bham, AL

• Apr 27, 2017

• #12

and another zombie thread resurrected, originally from 2006. OTOH it did remind me of Matt Isserstedt who hasn't
posted in some time. Wondered what happened to him?

 

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BobRenz

Stainless

Joined

Jun 30, 2012

Location

Minnesota, USA

• Apr 27, 2017

• #13

Oldwrench said:

About 25 years ago I saw a pretty nice Gerstner copy in one of the big-box stores like Costco, billed as "Made in Taiwan of American oak." It was less than fifty bucks and my wife bought one. I thought then that it was just a matter of time. I went on the Penn Tool site and I see Gerstner is phasing out the handbook drawer...

Click to expand...

Even though I have the CD version of Machinery's Handbook, I still keep a hard copy in the drawer of both my boxes. Maybe it's nostalgia, but I still use the paper versions when I just need a simple look-up number.