As you might recall, Stanley Black & Decker bought Irwin and Lenox tool brands. That was announced back in 2016.
Every so often I search for new trademark filings from my favorite brands. Sometimes trademark applications give hints at what a brand might be coming out with, other times it leads to an interesting brainstorming activity.
You know what? It’s hard to interpret trademark applications. But it’s fun, and potentially insightful.
There are 5 relatively new Irwin trademarks that were filed in recent months, after the acquisition.
2 of the trademarks refer to jig saw blades (Duracurve, Blasttec), 2 refer to hammer terms (Vibe Defense, Shock Shield), and 1 refers to a demo bar tech (Gripper Ripper).
Maybe the jig saw blades will be under the Irwin brand. Lenox, maybe? Neither?
As for the hammer and utility bar names, that’s an opportunity for a good thinking exercise.
Right now, Irwin offers some basic hammers – simple and inexpensive general purpose hammers with their name on it. I saw them in store, and they’re forgettable. I might have purchased one last winter holiday season, I’ll have to check. There are still some things stashed away that I didn’t dig into yet.
Stanley and Dewalt offer a wide range of hammers, and other Stanley Black & Decker brands offer many varying models too.
Dewalt and Milwaukee are in fierce competition for shelf space at Home Depot.
But what about Lowes?
Lowes has a good relationship with Irwin and Lenox, carrying a good selection their tools, even more during holiday seasons.
Lowes carried a greater selection of SBD tools before, most notable Bostitch, in recent memory. But that was quite a few years ago.
I wouldn’t be surprise if SBD was looking to place a lot of new Irwin and Lenox tools at Lowes, which in my opinion would be a good thing. In terms of tool selection, Lowes could benefit from more offerings outside their Kobalt house brand.
I wish I had more for you, but Stanley Black & Decker hasn’t discussed their Irwin or Lenox tool brand plans yet, at least in the way of new tool launches or teasers.
What do you think they’re planning or working on for Irwin and Lenox?