The ShopSmith woodworking tool line has been proven to be a complete woodshop in one compact unit for over 50 years, but due to several manufacturer name changes and strict trademark enforcement on eBay, locating older and compatible items on eBay can be challenging. This guide will explain why this is the case and will give the Buyer and Seller alike some practical tips to make their Shopsmith-shopping a success.

First off it’s important to know that the ShopSmith name has passed through several hands since it was originally attached to a machine conceived by a German immigrant to the US in the late 1940’s. Hans Goldschmidt invented the first ShopSmith tool, a 5-in-1 woodworking tool that met the demands of the burgeoning new DIY market in the USA. During and immediately after WWII many Americans who had learned new trade skills and who were becoming homeowners in record numbers were looking for outlets for their new skills and to add value to their new investment. These two factors combined to create an unprecedented need for compact and affordable woodworking tools, which is just what Mr. Goldschmidt had invented.

Image from original 10ER US Patent

The first ShopSmith tool was the famous 10ER, which combined a Table Saw, a Lathe, a Drill Press, a Disc Sander and a Horizontal Boring Machine into a single tool that took up about the same floor space in the garage as a bicycle. This tool was sold under the ShopSmith nameplate, but it was manufactured by Mr. Goldschmidt’s company Magna Engineering Corp. of San Diego, CA. Magna sold the 10ER with much success, but never being satisfied Mr. Goldschmidt was determined to improve his popular tool. The years that followed saw the introduction of the Mark V model 500, the Mark II, the SawSmith radial arm saw, the Mark VII and many accessories that were powered by these machines including an 11 inch Bandsaw, two versions of a Jigsaw, two versions of a Jointer, an Air Compressor and a 6 inch Belt Sander.

In the late 1950’s Magna and the ShopSmith line was purchased by the lawn and garden tool manufacturer Yuba Power Products, Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio. Within just a few years a group of employees incorporated as Magna American Corp. and acquired the ShopSmith product line from Yuba, but by 1966 the company and the ShopSmith product line died. All told the ShopSmith line had been moved from San Diego, CA to Fort Wayne, IN, to Menlo Park, CA, to Cincinnati, OH, and ultimately to what was to be its final resting place, Raymond, MS. What a wild ride!

Image from original SawSmith US Patent

But then something unexpected happened. A Dayton, Ohio stockbroker named John Folkerth, at the urging of his mother, purchased a SawSmith RAS from a widowed friend. On a quest for a replacement saw blade John ended-up in Mississippi at the all but deceased Magna America, where he found not only the blade, but also the tooling to produce the entire Shopsmith tool line and boxes of unanswered mail with orders for parts that included un-cashed checks! In 1972 with investors to back him Mr. Folkerth formed Shopsmith Inc. to resume manufacturing with all the original equipment purchased from Magna. An interesting point to remember is that from 1947 to 1972 the name ShopSmith was the brand name of a line of tools, not the name of a company. This all changed in 1972 when John chose to embrace the ShopSmith line as the entire focus of his new company.

The tooling was moved to Troy, Ohio with the original plan being to produce spare parts for all the old Magna and Yuba ShopSmith brand tools, but before long they realized that there was no need to just sell parts, they could also assemble the parts and sell complete tools! They chose to focus on the most popular and robust 5-in-1 tool, the Mark V.

Image from original Mark V US Patent

By the late 1970’s Shopsmith Inc. moved to it’s current location in Dayton, Ohio, but because the tool line has changed hands so many times it can be challenging to locate ShopSmith items on eBay without being a bit of a detective. But that’s not the only challenge.

Taiweenie knock-off’s of the Mark V hit the US in the 1980’s and just like Kleenex, Shopsmith Inc. faced competition that claimed that they too were selling a Shopsmith tool. Shopsmith Inc. won this battle in court and has ever since fiercely protected the use of their trademarked name. This creates the second challenge for the Shopsmith-shopping eBay-er. We’ve seen several sellers who have had their auctions pulled by eBay at Shopsmith Inc.’s insistence, because they were using the name Shopsmith to describe their Shopsmith-compatible items. Many of these tools and aids are quite acceptable, such as a Mark V-powered scroll saw manufactured and sold in the 1980’s by RB Industries, Inc. but they were not made by, or authorized by Shopsmith Inc., so they had no right to use the Shopsmith name in their items description.

Image from Shopsmith Mark V-inspired Multi-purpose tool US Patent. 

So here are your Buyer and Sellers Tips:

1. If your item was made by Magna or Yuba and sold under the trade name ShopSmith, say so, but also point out that your item was not made by Shopsmith Inc., the current owner of the trademark name Shopsmith and Shop-Smith.

2. If you are selling an item that is Shopsmith-compatible you must not use the word Shopsmith in your ad unless your item contains an authentic Shopsmith Inc. part. We’ve seen lots of dado blade sets which were purchased at a popular Chinese tool retailer being sold as Fits your Shopsmith, Delta, Powermatic, etc., which is not only considered keyword Spamming, but as we’ve just discussed completely dishonest and frankly putting the seller at risk of litigation. If that same auction contained a genuine Shopsmith Inc. Dado Arbor, and if the description honestly described the origin of each component, the auction could legitimately mention the Shopsmith name.

3. What words can you use to sell and what words should a buyer search in order to find your audience? Try word combinations such as: 5-in-1, 5in1, five-in-one, Mark V, Mark VII, Multi-purpose, and even the separate words Shop Smith in quotes. These last two words when used separately yet searched in quotes will return many items that are otherwise missed by casual searchers.

4. To find authentic Shopsmith parts search the words Shopsmith, Shop-Smith, Magna America, Yuba and the individual tool names such as Mark I, Mark II, Mark 2, Mark V, Mark 5, Mark VII, Mark 7, Sawsmith, Sawsmith 2000, etc.

Using these tips and following these guidelines you should be safe from infringement of Shopsmith Inc.’s rights, while connecting with items, buyers and sellers of interest.

Want to give this search method a try?  See original Magna, Yuba and Shopsmith Inc. patent prints at our eBay store: Patent_Place  eBay ID: Patent_Place