Origins: 1921–1924

The origins of SKIL trace back to Edmond Michel, an inventor who observed sugar cane workers in Louisiana struggling to cut thick stalks manually with machetes. Seeking a less labor-intensive solution, Michel experimented with mechanizing the cutting process. His efforts eventually yielded an electric-powered handheld saw. In 1924, Michel and businessman Joseph W. Sullivan established the Michel Electric Handsaw Company in Chicago. This invention laid the foundation for what would become SKIL.2

While development work began several years earlier, SKIL officially traces its corporate heritage to 1924.

The SKILSAW

The company’s early electric handsaw became known as the SKILSAW, establishing the firm’s identity around portable power cutting. By the end of 1926, reports indicate that more than 2,000 circular saws had been produced, making powered cutting significantly more practical for construction and woodworking.3

One of the most significant products in the company’s history was the SKILSAW Model 77, introduced in the 1930s. It became an influential professional circular saw and helped cement SKIL as a major name in the power tool industry.4 The legacy of the Model 77 is so enduring that SKIL’s saw heritage is frequently associated with the phrase “the saw that built America.”5

Although saws were central to its identity, SKIL eventually expanded into a much broader range of power tools. Historical catalogs demonstrate this growth beyond saws into drilling, sanding, cutting, grinding, and other categories.6 The product portfolio grew to include:

• Circular saws
• Reciprocating saws
• Jigsaws
• Drills
• Screwdrivers
• Sanders
• Grinders
• Routers
• Planers
• Heat guns
• Staple guns
• Work lights
• Outdoor power equipment
• Batteries and chargers
• Accessories

The brand also expanded internationally, becoming particularly well-known in European consumer and DIY markets. According to historical accounts, SKIL has sold more than 130 million products worldwide.7

SKIL has undergone several ownership and corporate transitions throughout its existence.

Bosch Era

In the 1990s, SKIL became part of Robert Bosch’s power tool business. During this period, Bosch operated SKIL as part of its worldwide portfolio, and the brand continued developing tools for consumers and professionals while maintaining its reputation in saws and power equipment.8

Acquisition by Chervon

A significant shift occurred between 2016 and 2017 when Chervon agreed to acquire the SKIL business from Bosch. The North American transaction closed at the end of 2016, while the European portion was completed on March 31, 2017.9

Today, SKIL operates within Chervon’s branded power tool portfolio, with distribution primarily across North America, Europe, and Australia.10

Modern SKIL positions itself around accessible innovation, bringing features and technologies traditionally associated with high-end power tools to products aimed at homeowners, DIY users, and value-conscious professionals.11 The current product range includes:

Power Tools

• Circular saws
• Reciprocating saws
• Jigsaws
• Drills
• Impact drivers
• Impact wrenches
• Sanders
• Grinders
• Multi-tools
• Specialty tools

Outdoor Equipment

• Lawn mowers
• Leaf blowers
• String trimmers
• Chainsaws
• Other cordless yard equipment

Benchtop and Workshop Tools

SKIL produces various tools intended for workshop and stationary applications.

Batteries and Cordless Systems

Cordless technology is a central component of SKIL’s modern product strategy. Its PWRCORE battery platforms are designed to allow compatible batteries to operate across multiple SKIL tools.12

SKIL’s modern identity revolves around three core concepts:

Innovation

Innovation has been integral to SKIL since the invention of its early electric handsaw. The company continues to emphasize patented technologies and new cordless tool designs.13

Ease of Use

Modern SKIL products are designed with DIY users specifically in mind. The brand describes its approach as creating tools that are powerful yet straightforward to operate.14

Value

Historically occupying a position between inexpensive consumer tools and premium professional equipment, SKIL’s modern branding emphasizes providing useful technology and performance without necessarily requiring premium pricing.15

PWRCORE 20

PWRCORE 20 is SKIL’s 20-volt cordless platform. Compatible tools share the same battery ecosystem, allowing users to purchase additional tools without needing separate battery systems. SKIL has developed a wide array of drills, saws, outdoor tools, and other equipment around this platform.16

Brushless Motors

Like many contemporary power tool manufacturers, SKIL increasingly incorporates brushless motors into its cordless product lines. These motors provide greater efficiency, power, and durability compared to conventional brushed designs.

It is important to distinguish that SKIL and SKILSAW are related but not interchangeable names. SKIL is the broader consumer and DIY-oriented power tool brand, offering everything from drills to outdoor equipment. SKILSAW retains a strong emphasis on professional cutting tools, particularly circular saws and construction-oriented equipment. Both brands are associated with Chervon.17

SKIL’s greatest historical strength lies in its circular saw heritage. The company built its identity around the invention and development of portable electric saw technology rather than simply adding saws to an existing catalog. Today, SKIL competes across a broader market spectrum ranging from DIY and homeowner segments to prosumer and professional categories.

While SKIL generally emphasizes the DIY and homeowner markets, its historical and SKILSAW products maintain a substantial professional construction heritage. This places SKIL in the same competitive landscape as brands such as Ryobi, Craftsman, DeWalt, Makita, Bosch, and Milwaukee, although individual market positioning and portfolios differ.

In 2024, SKIL celebrated its 100th anniversary. The centennial marked a century since the founding of the Michel Electric Handsaw Company and the beginning of SKIL’s history in portable electric cutting tools. Chervon highlighted the brand’s evolution from a solution for sugar cane cutting into an international power tool brand with over 130 million products sold.18 Current branding similarly emphasizes more than 100 years of innovation.

SKIL maintains an official presence in the Philippines. The local site describes the brand as offering professional power tools including saws, drills, and screwdrivers, while emphasizing innovation and DIY applications.1 This aligns with SKIL’s international strategy of making cordless and power tool technology accessible to home improvement and DIY users in the Philippine market.

SKIL’s identity is defined by four key characteristics:

• American Heritage: The brand originated from an American invention and became closely associated with American construction and woodworking.
• Cutting-Tool Heritage: The circular saw remains the defining product in SKIL’s history.
• Innovation: From the original electric handsaw to modern cordless platforms, technological development remains central to the brand.
• Accessible Performance: Modern SKIL focuses heavily on useful technology, ease of use, and value for DIY consumers.17

1. SKIL – Offers a wide range of professional power tools such as saw, drills and screwdrivers perfect for DIY task.
2. Chervon | SKIL
3. Chervon | SKIL: 100 hundred years of DIY-innovation
4. Chervon | CHERVON plans to buy SKIL
5. SKIL®
6. Skil
7. Chervon | Chervon Acquires SKil from Bosch Power Tools
8. Innovative Tools with Tech You Can Use | SKIL
9. Innovation Powers Everything we Do—Learn More | SKIL
10. Find a Manual or Parts List for your Tool | SKIL
11. About Us | SKIL
12. Chervon | 百年SKIL，开启非凡新征程
13. SKILSAW Power Tools Builds On Heritage With New Brand Identity And Expanded Product Line
14. 走进SKIL
15. Sobre nosotros | SKIL
16. ความเป็นมาของ SKIL – SKIL THAILAND เครื่องมือช่างคุณภาพ ไร้สาย เครื่องมือช่างไฟฟ้า ตอบโจทย์ทุกการใช้งาน
17. SKIL – Offers a wide range of professional power tools such as saw, drills and screwdrivers perfect for DIY task.
18. Innovative Power Tools Let you DIY with Confidence| SKIL