Are Pony Clamps back?

[Just_Dave]

Stopped by my local Ace today and they were revamping the clamp aisle, interesting I thought.
To back up, I was in there a few months ago and there were no Pony clamps, all the display space was empty.  Today, they were putting up all new displays and the bins in the aisles had several different Pony items.  I looked at several of the individual clamps to see if there was a "Made in" statement.  Nothing.
I pulled out a package of Pipe clamps.  Packaged in one of those plastic display packages and clearly stating on the back "Made in China" 

I found a corner clamp and it was also in the clear plastic display packaging made in China.

After Pony shutdown the website stayed up with no product information other than the Easy Wood Tools.  There is also nothing on the website that says they have shutdown.  I periodically check the website to see if there are any changes.  Today there was a change.   Under the new products heading

I have figured all along that they would reappear just not made in Chicago.  Guess we'll see where this goes.

[EdL]

Some of their products were made offshore long before the shutdown.

Have to go to Ace this week, will have a look.

Ed

[elinourrumming]

Just FYI – Easy Wood was just bought by the Caliendo family, and will remain in Lexington, Ky. I've not yet heard anything definitive on Pony or Jorgensen...but I'm certainly keeping my ear to the ground.

[Stwood_]

Hopefully the chitago plant will open back up. Maybe someone has aquired it.
ALso hope it all won't be coming from overseas

[gamma]

I went to the auction.  It was a good auction, but not for clamps.

A Chinese company bought them.  They're moving most of the equipment to China.  Some to a plant in NC.  So, there will be a Pony Clamps, just not a US/Chicago company anymore.  A heck of a lot of their stuff was Chinese made before.  I don't expect the ratio will change much.  (E.g., for their old F-clamps, the castings & parts were made in China, but assembled in the US.  But enough that they could be labeled as US made.)

The employees who were there for the auction load-out were great guys.  I really hope they land on their feet.

[Stwood_]

Thanks for your info. I have a bazillion of their clamps

[meackerman]

bought a couple of thier NOS 1/2" bar clamps this morning.

[KC]

I've got a bunch of Pony pipe clamps that I've had for 30 years, and 6 or 8 of the Rockler 'bigfoot' variety.  I go to the Rockler ones first, especially if I'm using them on a panel.  Seem to stay flat with less fiddling.

[Mags®]

Pony is discontinued at Ace. There is a rolling change to Bessy as old inventory is moved through. Ace launched a hand tool reset 4th quarter last year for dealers. Pony was included in that reset so what you probably saw was a reset that was preplanned months ago before Pony went out of business. The inventory had already been bought, so the store will do a rolling switch as inventory depleats.

[meackerman]

The Ace that I bought the pipe clamps from still had a bunch of what looked like pony C clamps (didn't pick any of themy up), no Bessey in sight.