Skilcraft
Last checked: Oct 21, 2026
The full answer: Is Skilcraft Made in USA?Verification Summary
American Score
Manufacturing Location
Kansas City, MO
Headquarters
Alexandria, VA
Founded
1938
Products Verified
9 products
Evidence Breakdown
Factory Location Specificity
No specific location documented
Website Claim
The brand's website says it makes its products in the USA
Manufacturing History
Long record of US manufacturing
Known Overseas Production
No imported lines on record
Verification Notes
Office supplies manufactured across multiple USA facilities employing people who are blind or visually impaired. AbilityOne program with explicit USA manufacturing mandate. claim-holds: Brand owner (National Industries for the Blind) documents US production of the Government Pen; Amazon listings for the pen (B008UARA2I) show 'Country of Origin : United States', marker and spiral notebook listings show origin United States, and the highlighter/B3 Aviator/3-subject notebook listings read 'Made with pride by Americans who are blind'. The 2026 GSA/AbilityOne country-of-origin audit concerned imported tech items (flash drives, charging packs) relabeled USA, not these writing/paper lines; no listed item shows a foreign origin. skilcraft.com is unrelated; nib.org/skilcraft is the correct site (already recorded). Flagged three listings for availability, not origin. https://nib.org/an-american-classic-turns-55/ "Today, three NIB associated agencies are involved in production of the pens. Alphapointe, in Kansas City, Missouri, makes the plastic components. Industries of the Blind (IOB) in Greensboro, North Carolina, and Industries for the Blind and Visually Impaired (IBVI) in Milwaukee, assemble and package the pens."
Brand evidence is re-checked on a rolling cycle
Quick Picks
Manufacturing Profile
Skilcraft manufactures in Kansas City, MO. Founded in 1938, 88 years ago. The 9 Skilcraft listings here sit in office & school.
Verification tier
82% average
High: strong brand evidence, usually with product-level origin statements
Factory evidence
On file
Kansas City, MO
Catalog breadth
9 products
1 category
How we verified Skilcraft
Most recent check: Oct 21, 2026
From the brand's website
“produced right here in the United States”
nib.org · checked Sep 23, 2026
Store listings
We read the live store listing for 9 of the 9 Skilcraft products on this page (most recently Oct 21, 2026). 2 of them state US origin on the listing itself:
These checks are run by our software on a schedule: brand websites are re-read about every three weeks, store listings weekly, and news is scanned monthly. Every flag is checked against its original source before anything on this page changes. How the American Score works.
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Skilcraft was founded in 1938 and makes the products listed here in Kansas City, MO. The site lists 9 verified American-made Skilcraft products.
The pen that replaced 13 million bad ones
National Industries for the Blind dates to 1938 and sells under the SKILCRAFT name through the federal AbilityOne program. Its best-known product is the U.S. Government pen. NIB says it was added to the program's procurement list on April 20, 1968, after the General Services Administration asked NIB to replace a defective batch of 13 million pens from a private supplier.
The specification calls for a tungsten carbide ball, spring steel parts and ink that writes about 5,000 feet and works from minus 40 to above 160 degrees Fahrenheit. At its peak the agencies made 70 million a year. They now make 8 to 12 million.
Three agencies behind one pen
NIB names the shops that build the Government pen. Alphapointe in Kansas City, Missouri, molds the plastic parts. Industries of the Blind in Greensboro, North Carolina, and Industries for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Milwaukee assemble and package them. Other SKILCRAFT items come from other associated agencies, and NIB's site says its products are produced in the United States.
The pen listings we checked give United States as the country of origin, as do the marker and spiral notebook listings. The highlighter, B3 Aviator pen and notebook listings say they are made by Americans who are blind. A 2026 federal audit of AbilityOne products concerned imported electronics such as flash drives and charging packs, not these writing and paper lines. Note that skilcraft.com belongs to an unrelated company; the brand's site is nib.org/skilcraft.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Skilcraft made in the USA?
Yes, for the 9 products listed here. Skilcraft manufactures in Kansas City, MO. SKILCRAFT is the brand of National Industries for the Blind. Its pens, markers, highlighters and notebooks are made by nonprofit agencies that employ people who are blind, including plants in Kansas City, Greensboro and Milwaukee.
Where is Skilcraft manufactured?
Skilcraft is headquartered in Alexandria, VA. Manufacturing takes place in Kansas City, MO.
What Skilcraft products can I buy?
The site lists 9 Skilcraft products in Office & School. Each one links to a store that sells it.
When was Skilcraft founded?
Skilcraft was founded in 1938. SKILCRAFT is the brand of National Industries for the Blind. Its pens, markers, highlighters and notebooks are made by nonprofit agencies that employ people who are blind, including plants in Kansas City, Greensboro and Milwaukee.
Where can I buy Skilcraft products?
Every Skilcraft product listed here links to a store that sells it, either a large online retailer or the brand's own shop.