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Whatever became of Steadfast Tools (screwdrivers?

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I bought an amber handled screwdriver on Ebay recently branded "Steadfast - Made in Sheffield". It was a top quality item (and I've bought others since). It's not that common they appear and I believe the business must have closed about 15 years ago. Given the wonders of modern technology (although I've never ever visited Sheffield) I can see what I presume is the what remains of the factory site on Google maps (where Manor Lane is truncated by Sheffield Parkway).

 

Does anyone know what caused their demise? I know that up to about 15 years ago Stanley Tools, Footprint, Spiralux and Spear and Jackson were all making good quality tools - but none are now manufacturing in the UK (although of course Footprint is still a major name they no longer make screwdrivers or chisels). What was it that took all these established quality brands out of our industrial heritage within a few years of each other?

 

Would love to hear the opinions of anyone on your forum.

Edited by ironhorse01
amending incomplete post

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Steadfast was part of the Balfour Darwin group later under Edger Allen, do not know when it closed , I have some steadfast scewdrivers over 30 year old still good built to last

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I bought an amber handled screwdriver on Ebay recently branded "Steadfast - Made in Sheffield". It was a top quality item (and I've bought others since). It's not that common they appear and I believe the business must have closed about 15 years ago. Given the wonders of modern technology (although I've never ever visited Sheffield) I can see what I presume is the what remains of the factory site on Google maps (where Manor Lane is truncated by Sheffield Parkway).

 

Does anyone know what caused their demise? I know that up to about 15 years ago Stanley Tools, Footprint, Spiralux and Spear and Jackson were all making good quality tools - but none are now manufacturing in the UK (although of course Footprint is still a major name they no longer make screwdrivers or chisels). What was it that took all these established quality brands out of our industrial heritage within a few years of each other?

 

Would love to hear the opinions of anyone on your forum.

 

Cheap imports from the Far East probably cause them problems

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I worked for footprint until late 1998 and at that time it was cheaper for the company to import many tools from China or India,mark them with the company logo and sell them on.

Needless to say,the quality was very poor.

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Thanks very much for your replies low end and alankearn. Yes, I agree that they are first class: the handle is a comfortable fit in your hand and the blade is chrome vanadium and yes the Far East has probably had a lot to do with Steadfast's demise: so much of Chinese stuff looks superficially good and it's only when you come to use it you see how inadequate it is. My guess too is that our love affair with battery operated tools has suppressed the hand tool market (although there are still 75000-odd screwdrivers advertised on Ebay today). I suppose too the fact that you can buy, and many people are willing to, tools in Tescoes or a poundshop rather than in a hardware shop, has opened up the market for Far Eastern tat (or as someone has unkindly called it, "landfill")!

 

---------- Post added 30-11-2014 at 22:32 ----------

 

charliewag your comment confirms what the rest of us were guessing at. It seems to be the beginning of the end when a firm starts to buy in foreign stuff - and when they lend their brandname to something substandard, the reason for buying the quality item disappears into thin air. And soon there's no business at all.

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Hello

 

I just read your email about Steadfast Tools. I was Marketing Director for Steadfast for 2 years from c.1985 or 1986. I was principally responsible for developing their private brand and European business, as I lived in France at the time and used to commute to the UK once a month.

 

Steadfast, founded many years ago, by Jack Stead, went into liquidation around 1983/4 and was acquired by Richard H Green, a chartered surveyor. He injected money into the company and was turning it round at the time I joined.

 

They company manufactured a considerable range of screwdrivers, including a new 'silent' ratchet screwdriver, named 'Silentorque.' They were also the leading producer of Junior Hacksaw Blades and did a lot of business with this product. They made the mistake of trying to enter the full-size Hacksaw blade market, then dominated by the likes of James Neill, Charles Baynes (Vanguard) and Slack Sellars (Speed). Around that time Richard Green and I fell out and I left to start a hand tools agency in Europe. Steadfast sold out to James Neill who started up production the new hacksaw blade plant. Unfortunately for them they ran into many problems trying to produce a quality blade at a low price.

 

I had personal experience of the quality issues because I landed a contract for Neills for the new hacksaw blades, with a major tool distributor in Grenoble France. The blades were for a major school contract, and when they were delivered I received a phone call from the distributor's managing director who described them as 'n'importe quoi.' This roughly translates as 'garbage.' I had to try and pull a rabbit out of the bag and find some more blades. Fortunately, I had contacts at Slack Sellers, who were able to deliver quickly at the same price, so the contract went to them.

 

I don't know if Neills ever solved the quality problems of the Steadfast hacksaw blades or what happened to the brand name after that, as I have been living abroad since then.

 

The story about the hacksaw blades is not exactly what you were asking about but I thought you might like to hear it anyway!

 

Regards

 

Stuart Kay

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Don't forget that J Stead & co were major Manufacturers of steel gramophone needles, essential before the MP3 player.

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Stuartakay and Blackbeard,

Thank you very much for your replies: it has been very rude of me to ask a question and not acknowledge the replies: our computer had been out of action and this is my not very adequate excuse. Yes, Blackbeard I could see Stead's started out selling gramophone needles and made the unusual progression to screwdrivers - not quite as bold a diversification as Hitachi (sewing machines to giant excavators) but bold nonetheless. I suppose the common thread for them was the use of steel wire. Stuartakay - that's a facinating story you tell - you would wonder how a business could get it so wrong. I looked on Google Maps for Manor Lane and it looks like all trace of the factory has gone - and I suspect the tooling (to China) and the hopes of the workforce with it.

Kind regards and thanks to you both for your replies.

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J Stead & co had the last needle factory in Hathersage ,there were 5 at one stage . It closed in 1912

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I'm trying to find out information on Stead's when they were manufacturing gramophone needles in Hathersage if any of you can help I would really appreciate it.

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My dad worked at stead's at the bottom of manor lane as a wire drawer the building is still there , it closed early 80,s

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Spear & Jackson is still going on a much smaller scale, i dont know what they make these days.

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