Klein Tools released the book, Forging Endurance to commemorate its 150th anniversary. The new book chronicles the Klein Tools story from the founding father and birth of the company to the present day as a manufacturer in the electrical industry, and as the 84th oldest family-owned business in the United States.

Authored by Kevin Wack, the 127-page, coffee-table book tells the story of the Klein Tools legacy beginning in 1857, when Mathias Klein operated a blacksmith shop in Chicago. A broken pair of cutting pliers was brought into the shop to be fixed, where Klein quickly forged a new piece. A few weeks later, Klein produced a second half to fit the first. Those two halves represent the first pair of pliers produced in the United States. Linemen soon came from all over the city for repairs and ultimately, to acquire their first pair of “Kleins,” and with that, Klein Tools was born.

Klein Tools has grown dramatically since 1857. Today, Klein Tools employs more than 1,000 people nationwide and is still owned and managed by fifth-generation direct descendants of Mathias Klein. The company offers more than 4,000 different products in 80 countries.

The book provides anecdotes of Klein Tools employees that journeyed to the United States in search of a job that would bring them a better life. It also chronicles family members, employees, customers and key contributors to the company’s success.

The book’s historical photography and narratives depict how Klein Tools came to be a manufacturer of hand tools in America.

Klein Tools
www.kleintools.com