[1] The Stanley Works was founded by Frederick Trent Stanley in 1843, originally a bolt and door hardware manufacturing company located in New Britain, Connecticut.

In 1920, this company merged with the Stanley Works, and continued operating as its hand tools division.

A. Chapman company, a British manufacturer of carpentry tools and other items (including bayonets during World War I) formerly located in Sheffield, from Norman Neill.

Stanley is a well known brand of tools and has produced millions of hand planes, saws, rulers, try squares, chisels, screwdrivers, and many other types of tools for consumer and for industrial use.

Their innovations include the Bailey plane, the Surform shaper, the PowerLock tape measure, the utility knife, and an unusual multitool known as the Stanley #1 Odd Jobs.