This business was formed in 1878 to manufacture blacksmith’s forges. It quickly branched into heating, air conditioning (purportedly invented by Willis Carrier of Buffalo Forge), dust collectors (the cyclonic dust collector invention claimed by Buffalo Forge), drill presses, etc. Buffalo Forge created a Canadian subsidiary, Canadian Blower & Forge, in 1905; a 1914 book shows a Canadian-made drill press, featuring ball-bearing construction.

In 1993, Buffalo Forge was acquired by the Howden Group. Buffalo Machine Tools was created in 1997 from the machine tool division of Buffalo Forge. In 1999, the Howden subsidiary containing the remainder of Buffalo Forge was renamed Howden Buffalo.

The only Buffalo Forge machines useful to woodworkers are their drill presses. Any tablesaws, bandsaws, etc., with the Buffalo name are 1980s Taiwanese imports. These machines are completed unrelated to Buffalo Forge and associated businesses. As offshore imports, they are also outside the scope of this web site.

Buffalo Forge Resources:

• Listing in the June 1926 issue of Building Age and National Builder for the Buffalo Woodworker.
• History - "Buffalo Forge" (1877-1952) World Wide Name in Industrial Equipment.  Reprint of a speech made to the Newcomen Society of England in 1952 concerning the history of the company.
• Buffalo Machine Tools of Niagara, Inc. Company Home Page, Lockport, NY. Buffalo Machine Tools was created in 1997 from the machine tool division of Buffalo Forge.15", 18" drill presses. Buffalo makes metalworking equipment, but their drill presses are sometimes found in woodworking shops.

Contact Information for Buffalo Machine Tools of Niagara, Inc.:

Phone: (716) 625-9830
Fax: (716) 625-9850
Monday - Friday from 9:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. EST.

e-mail Theresa Silva: TFBMT@aol.com