What razor-back does

Razor-Back Professional Tools is a heritage hand tool brand founded in 1936 that designs, manufactures, and markets professional-grade landscaping, roofing, and striking tools for contractors and demanding DIY users. Its product portfolio spans two main lines — Long Handle Tools (rakes, shovels, scoops, forks, hoes, post hole diggers, and roofing tools) and Striking Tools (axes and impact tools) — built on forged construction with wood or tubular steel handles and backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty. The brand operates on a 'For Pros, By Pros' development philosophy, incorporating professional-user input into product design, and targets professional landscapers and contractors who require durability for daily heavy-duty use rather than occasional consumer applications. Individual product pricing ranges from approximately $47 to over $104 per unit, positioning Razor-Back in the mid-to-premium professional tier.

Razor-Back generates revenue through hardware sales distributed across two channels: retail hardware and home improvement stores serving professional contractors, and the direct-to-consumer Home by AMES e-commerce storefront (homebyames.com). The brand is owned by The AMES Companies, Inc., a subsidiary of the publicly traded diversified holding company Griffon Corporation (NYSE: GFF), and operates as one of more than 21 brands within AMES' global portfolio alongside AMES, Jackson Professional Tools, True Temper, UnionTools, Southern Patio, Harper, and ClosetMaid. The AMES Companies headquarters is located in Orlando, Florida (13485 Veterans Way), with additional operational presence in Parkersburg, West Virginia, where AMES and True Temper historically merged. The brand is marketed across the USA and Canada through social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube), brand websites, and content marketing via the InSite by AMES blog.

Razor-Back's strategic significance to Griffon lies in its 85+ year professional brand equity, its complementarity with the AMES portfolio's consumer brands (True Temper, UnionTools), and its role within Griffon's Home & Building Products segment. Recent strategic activity has been driven primarily at the parent level — including the 2006 acquisition by AMES True Temper, the 2010 acquisition of AMES by Griffon, the 2014 renaming to The AMES Companies, and the 2017 integration of ClosetMaid — rather than through brand-specific capital raises or pivots, consistent with Razor-Back's position as a mature, cash-generating heritage brand.

Name

razor-back

Legal name

The AMES Companies, Inc.

Website

https://razor-back.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Razor-Back Professional Tools, founded in 1936 and now owned by The AMES Companies (a Griffon Corporation subsidiary), designs and markets professional-grade landscaping, roofing, and striking hand tools for contractors and demanding DIY users through retail and direct e-commerce channels in North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Landscaping and Hand Tools

NAICS

Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing (3322), Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing (33221), Broom, Brush, and Mop Manufacturing (339994)

SIC

Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420)

akta.pro primary industry

Tools & Tool Accessories Retail (Hand, Power, Pneumatic) (CRAIADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Brooms, Brushes & Dustpans (CRAJAIAA)

Keywords

• Professional landscaping tools
• Garden hand tools
• Contractor shovels
• Heavy-duty rakes
• Roofing hand tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Orlando

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Professional Tool Sales: Razor-Back generates revenue through the sale of professional-grade landscaping tools including rakes, shovels, scoops, roofing tools, striking tools, and brooms. Products are sold through retail channels and direct e-commerce. The brand targets professional landscapers who require durable, heavy-duty tools for daily use.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Razor-Back designs, manufactures, and markets professional-grade landscaping, roofing, and striking hand tools for professional contractors and DIY users. The product line includes rakes, shovels, scoops, forks, hoes, post hole diggers, roofing tools, brooms, and axes built with forged steel heads and wood or tubular steel handles. All tools are backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty and sold through the Home by AMES e-commerce platform and retail hardware stores.

Product overview

Razor-Back Professional Tools is a core brand under The AMES Companies offering professional-grade landscaping and garden tools. The product portfolio consists of Long Handle Tools (including rakes, shovels, scoops, forks, hoes, post hole diggers, and roofing tools) and Striking Tools (including axes). These products are designed for professional landscapers and contractors, featuring forged construction, wood or tubular steel handles, and a limited lifetime warranty. The brand positions itself as 'Tough Tools for Tough Jobs' serving pros who need power and endurance for daily heavy work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Razor-Back Professional Tools: Professional-grade landscaping tools including rakes, shovels, scoops, roofing tools, brooms, striking tools, and forks designed for professional landscapers and tough jobs.

Products and services

• Long Handle Tools Professional-grade long-handle tools including rakes, shovels, scoops, forks, cultivators, hoes, post hole diggers, and roofing tools with wood or tubular steel handles for professional landscaping and contracting use.
• Striking Tools Professional striking tools including axes and other impact tools designed for heavy-duty landscaping and construction applications.
• Rakes Professional landscaping rakes for various applications including yard cleanup and dethatching.
• Shovels & Scoops Professional shovels and aluminum scoops with wood handles and steel D-grips for heavy-duty digging and material handling.
• Roofing Tools Specialty tools designed for roofing applications and related construction work.
• Brooms Industrial push brooms for yard cleanup, construction cleanup, and outdoor surface maintenance.
• Forks (Compost, Spading, Specialty) Forged forks including 5-tine compost forks, spading forks, and specialty forks with wood handles for professional landscaping applications.
• Hoes (Meadow, Blackland, Specialty) Forged hoes including 7-inch meadow/blackland hoes with wood handles for cultivation and landscaping work.
• Post Hole Diggers Hercules pattern post hole diggers with tubular steel handles for professional fence installation and digging applications.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The AMES CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Razor-Back Professional Tools was acquired by AMES True Temper in 2006 alongside UnionTools. The company was later integrated into The AMES Companies, Inc. (renamed in 2014) which now encompasses over 21 brands globally. As part of The AMES Companies, a subsidiary of Griffon Corporation, Razor-Back benefits from the parent's broader distribution, manufacturing scale, and brand portfolio.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Corona Tools: US manufacturer of professional landscaping hand tools including pruners, saws, and long-handle implements. Comparable in professional-grade positioning and pro landscaper target customer.
• True Temper: Sister brand under The AMES Companies offering overlapping professional-grade long-handle landscaping tools (shovels, rakes, snow tools). Directly comparable in target customer, distribution, and product category.
• AMES Tools: Parent brand umbrella of The AMES Companies, offering residential and contractor-grade lawn and garden tools. Directly comparable product category and pro/DIY customer segments.
• UnionTools: Sister brand under The AMES Companies, also acquired in 2006 alongside Razor-Back, making professional long-handle tools and shovels. Directly comparable in product line and customer base.
• Fiskars: Major competing brand in lawn and garden hand tools (shovels, rakes, pruners, axes), competing for both pro and DIY customers through retail and DTC channels. Strong comparable on product category and target market.
• Jackson Professional Tools: Sister AMES brand focused on commercial-grade cleaning and material handling tools (brooms, mop handles, squeegees). Comparable in pro-channel positioning and overlapping customer base.
• Garant: Canadian manufacturer of professional-grade snow and garden tools including shovels, scrapers, and rakes. Strong comparable in product category, pro positioning, and North American distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Husqvarna: Global outdoor power equipment leader serving professional landscapers and contractors. Comparable target customer (professional landscapers) but focuses on powered equipment rather than manual hand tools.
• Stanley Black & Decker: Diversified tool giant owning Craftsman, DeWalt, and Stanley brands across hand and power tools. Comparable in tool category and pro/DIY customer overlap, though far broader portfolio.

Emerging players

• Truper Herramientas: Mexican-based manufacturer of hand tools and landscaping implements with growing US presence through retail channels. Comparable product category at lower price points, increasingly competing for value-conscious pro buyers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/razor_backtools
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/RazorBackProTools
• Facebookfacebook.com/RazorBackProfessionalTools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-ames-companies-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about razor-back