New Britain Machine Company
New Britain Machine Company was a Connecticut-based manufacturer of woodworking machinery and hand tools whose brands and contract-manufacturing relationships made it an important supplier to the American tool trade.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
New Britain Machine Company was a tool manufacturer headquartered in New Britain, Connecticut. Its business developed from industrial machinery into a broad hand-tool operation serving automotive, hardware, retail, and professional-tool channels. The company produced woodworking machines and, later, sockets, ratchets, drive tools, and related hand tools. It marketed products under its own names, including None Better, New Britain, and Mustang, while also owning or operating important acquired brands such as Husky and Blackhawk. The company's origins are reported differently in surviving references. One account places its establishment in 1887, while archival material from the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center associates its formation with 1895, after the J. T. Case Engine Company, a maker of steam engines. Its first reported product was a chainsaw mortising machine, reflecting the company's early connection to woodworking and industrial equipment. Over time, hand tools became central to the business. New Britain registered the None Better trademark in 1917. The None Better range initially emphasized relatively affordable carbon-steel sockets and tools, offering a lower-cost alternative to the alloy-steel products sold by higher-priced competitors. Early sets used hex-drive sockets with an ell-bar drive. By the 1930s, the range had expanded to include numerous half-inch square-drive tools with cadmium finishes. During the same period, the company introduced New Britain tools positioned as a higher-priced alloy-steel alternative. New Britain also became a significant original-equipment and private-label supplier. It supplied sockets and drive tools for Sears' Craftsman line, and its products can be identified on some vintage tools by distinctive markings such as a circled BE or H. The Sears relationship continued until 1947, when the earlier socket design was gradually replaced by the V-series. The company was also a principal supplier to the National Automotive Parts Association, commonly known as NAPA, from the organization's formation in 1925 through the later decades of the twentieth century. It supplied tools to a range of other businesses and tool distributors, including Mac Tools, Matco Tools, J. C. Penney's Penncraft line, Owatonna Tools, American Forge, PowerKraft, and Giller. Acquisitions broadened the company's brand portfolio. New Britain acquired the Husky Wrench Company during the early 1930s. In 1955, it acquired the hand-tool business of Blackhawk Manufacturing Company. Blackhawk retained hydraulic jacks and other hydraulic products and later became associated with Applied Power Industries, while the Blackhawk hand-tool name became an important New Britain brand. Designs associated with Blackhawk were subsequently incorporated into New Britain's products. The company also developed notable ratchet mechanisms. Patents associated with Luther Kilness in the late 1950s contributed to a compression-engagement ratchet design that entered production in 1961. Early versions used a twelve-tooth arrangement with a sixty-position count; later versions introduced from 1971 used a nine-tooth pawl and a forty-five-position count. The design remained in use through the company's later years. On December 22, 1972, New Britain Machine was acquired by Litton Tool Company, part of Litton's industrial-products operations. Litton remained associated with the company until New Britain Machine closed in 1990. Following the closure, the company's assets, including the Husky and Blackhawk trademarks, were acquired by The Stanley Works. Stanley continued to use Blackhawk as a product-line name. The former New Britain Machine property in New Britain was later redeveloped; in 2004, the mayor announced an agreement to sell twenty-six acres of the former South Street site to local businesses. The company is therefore defunct as an operating manufacturer, but its historical brands and surviving vintage tools remain relevant to collectors and tool historians.
History
New Britain Machine Company emerged in New Britain, Connecticut, as a manufacturer connected to industrial and woodworking equipment. Sources differ on its founding date: one account gives 1887, while archival material identifies 1895 and links the company's formation to the earlier J. T. Case Engine Company. Its first reported product was a chainsaw mortising machine. This early manufacturing base later supported a transition into hand tools, particularly sockets and drive equipment. The company registered the None Better trademark in 1917. None Better became the principal identity for much of the company's early socket and tool production. Its products were often made from carbon steel, helping position the line as a less expensive alternative to alloy-steel tools. Early tool sets combined hex-drive sockets with an ell-bar drive. By the 1930s, None Better had developed into a broad half-inch square-drive range with cadmium finishes. New Britain simultaneously offered tools under its own name, using alloy steel and occupying a higher price position. The 1930s were also important for the company's commercial relationships and acquisitions. New Britain supplied sockets and drive tools for Sears' Craftsman range. Vintage examples may carry a circled BE or H marking associated with the manufacturer. The original Sears socket arrangement lasted until 1947, when it was gradually replaced by the V-series socket design. New Britain also supplied the National Automotive Parts Association. NAPA was formed in 1925, and New Britain became its main tool supplier for many years, reportedly continuing in that role into the late 1970s. New Britain expanded through ownership of other tool businesses. It acquired the Husky Wrench Company during the early 1930s. In 1955, it bought Blackhawk Manufacturing Company's hand-tool line. Blackhawk retained hydraulic jacks and related hydraulic products and later changed its corporate identity to Applied Power Industries. The Blackhawk hand-tool name, however, became an important part of New Britain's portfolio. New Britain also produced or supplied tools for several other businesses, including Mac Tools, Matco Tools, Giller, J. C. Penney's Penncraft line, Owatonna Tools, American Forge, and PowerKraft. Product engineering remained significant during the postwar period. Luther Kilness filed two United States patents, numbered 2,554,990 and 2,981,389, associated with an evolution of the ratchet mechanism. The resulting compression-engagement ratchet design was introduced in 1961 and remained in production through the company's later years. Earlier versions used twelve teeth and a sixty-position ratchet count; designs from 1971 onward used a nine-tooth pawl and a forty-five-position count. On December 22, 1972, Litton Tool Company acquired New Britain Machine. Litton continued to own the business through the company's eventual closure in 1990. The shutdown ended New Britain's independent manufacturing presence, although its brand assets survived. The Stanley Works acquired assets including the Husky and Blackhawk trademarks, and continued to market Blackhawk as a tool line. In 2004, the former South Street property in New Britain was the subject of a redevelopment agreement involving the sale of twenty-six acres to Dattco and Guida's. New Britain Machine is now a defunct historical manufacturer whose products, markings, patents, and associated brands remain of interest to collectors and researchers of American hand tools.
- 2004
Former factory property enters redevelopment
[1]A twenty-six-acre portion of the former South Street property was announced for sale to Dattco and Guida's.
- 1990
Operations close
[1]New Britain Machine closed after operating under Litton ownership.
- 1972
Acquired by Litton Tool Company
[1]Litton Tool Company acquired New Britain Machine on December 22.
- 1971
Later ratchet mechanism introduced
[1]Later versions of the ratchet design used a nine-tooth pawl and a forty-five-position count.
- 1961
Kilness ratchet design enters production
[1]A compression-engagement ratchet associated with Luther Kilness's patents entered production and became a long-lived New Britain design.
- 1955
Blackhawk hand-tool line acquired
[1]New Britain acquired the hand-tool line of Blackhawk Manufacturing Company, strengthening its branded tool portfolio.
- 1931
Blackhawk leadership transition
[1]Sigmund Mandl, associated with the earlier Husky Wrench Company, moved to Blackhawk Manufacturing Company during the period of New Britain's expansion in the tool sector.
- 1925
NAPA founded
[1]The National Automotive Parts Association was formed, and New Britain later became its principal tool supplier.
- 1917
None Better trademark registered
[1]New Britain registered the None Better trademark for sockets and tools.
- 1895
Archival founding date
[1]Archives and Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center associate the company's formation with 1895 and its predecessor, the J. T. Case Engine Company.
Products and positioning
A vertically integrated American tool manufacturer serving both branded and private-label markets, with products ranging from economy-oriented carbon-steel tools to higher-priced alloy-steel hand tools.
Sockets and hand tools · 1917
None Better
None Better was New Britain Machine's principal early tool identity and was protected by a trademark registered in 1917. The line included sockets, drive tools, and tool sets. Early products commonly used carbon steel to offer a lower-cost alternative to alloy-steel tools. By the 1930s, the range included half-inch square-drive tools with cadmium finishes.
Professional and automotive hand tools
New Britain
The New Britain-branded line represented a higher-priced alternative to the economy-oriented None Better range. It emphasized alloy-steel construction and included sockets, ratchets, and other drive tools used in automotive and general mechanical applications.
Hand tools
Husky
Husky became part of New Britain Machine's portfolio after the company acquired the Husky Wrench Company during the early 1930s. The brand contributed to New Britain's presence in wrenches and related hand tools. The Husky trademark was among the assets later acquired by The Stanley Works after New Britain's closure.
Hand tools · 1955
Blackhawk
New Britain acquired Blackhawk Manufacturing Company's hand-tool line in 1955. Blackhawk became an important brand within the company, and some Blackhawk designs influenced New Britain's own products. The trademark survived the closure of New Britain Machine and was later used by The Stanley Works for a tool line.
Economy hand tools
Mustang
Mustang was one of the economy-grade names used by New Britain Machine for hand tools. Available historical material identifies it as part of the company's portfolio, although detailed product specifications and launch information are not established in the supplied sources.
Brand decisions
1990
Closure of manufacturing operationsStrategyBackground
The company operated under Litton ownership after the 1972 acquisition.
Action taken
New Britain Machine ceased operations in 1990.
Aftermath
The Stanley Works acquired assets including the Husky and Blackhawk trademarks, allowing parts of the brand portfolio to continue after the company's shutdown.
1972
Litton acquisitionM&ABackground
New Britain Machine had developed a sizable tool portfolio and supplier network, including the Husky and Blackhawk brands.
Action taken
Litton Tool Company acquired New Britain Machine on December 22, 1972.
Aftermath
Litton remained associated with the company until its closure in 1990.
Sources1 sources
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