Footprint Tools Ltd. - UK Retailer

Company History
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In 1875 Thomas R. Ellin, one of Sheffields formost industrialists of the time, moved away from his family's cutlery business to set up an engineering company to manufacture a hand tool which he had adapted from a simple implement made by a Sheffield hand grinder. This tool was to become the world famous Footprint Wrench. Over 20 million of these have now been sold worldwide and all have been manufactured, as they are today, in Sheffield. From this small beginning, Footprint Tools Limited, as we are now known has grown into one of the largest privately owned hand tool manufacturing companies in the United Kingdom. We value highly our independence and pride ourselves on our ability to offer a personal service to our many customers. We are often asked where our name and trademark, "Footprint" - or more correctly the outline of a foot - originated from. We think that when Thomas Ellin was starting his new company and thus looking for a suitable trademark, he must have been reading Daniel Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe". In the company's archives, we have an illustrated edition of this book from the last century, which on one page depicts Crusoe finding Friday's footprint in the sand. One of these - the left foot in outline, is circled and in the margin are written the words - "possible trademark".

Company History

In 1875 Thomas R. Ellin, one of Sheffields formost industrialists of the time, moved away from his family's cutlery business to set up an engineering company to manufacture a hand tool which he had adapted from a simple implement made by a Sheffield hand grinder. This tool was to become the world famous Footprint Wrench. Over 20 million of these have now been sold worldwide and all have been manufactured, as they are today, in Sheffield.

From this small beginning, Footprint Tools Limited, as we are now known has grown into one of the largest privately owned hand tool manufacturing companies in the United Kingdom. We value highly our independence and pride ourselves on our ability to offer a personal service to our many customers.

We are often asked where our name and trademark, "Footprint" - or more correctly the outline of a foot - originated from. We think that when Thomas Ellin was starting his new company and thus looking for a suitable trademark, he must have been reading Daniel Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe". In the company's archives, we have an illustrated edition of this book from the last century, which on one page depicts Crusoe finding Friday's footprint in the sand. One of these - the left foot in outline, is circled and in the margin are written the words - "possible trademark".