As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 13, 1996.
                                                  Registration No. 33-
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                                 ---------------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      Under
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                                 ---------------

                         THE BLACK & DECKER CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

          Maryland                                       52-0248090
(State or other jurisdiction of             (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
 incorporation or organization)

                               701 East Joppa Road
                             Towson, Maryland 21286
                    (Address of principal executive offices)


                    The Black & Decker 1996 Stock Option Plan
                            (Full title of the plan)


                           Charles E. Fenton, Esquire
                       Vice President and General Counsel
                         The Black & Decker Corporation
                               701 East Joppa Road
                             Towson, Maryland 21286
                                 (410) 716-3900
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, 
 of agent for service)

                                   Copies to:
                           Glenn C. Campbell, Esquire
                              Miles & Stockbridge,
                           A Professional Corporation
                                 10 Light Street
                            Baltimore, Maryland 21202
                                 ---------------
<TABLE>

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
=============================================================================================================================
<CAPTION>
                                                                                       Proposed
                                                                Proposed                maximum
                                                                maximum                aggregate             Amount of
       Title of securities             Amount to be          offering price            offering             registration
         to be registered                registered           per share (1)             price(1)                fee
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                     <C>                    <C>                    <C>                  <C>    

Common Stock, par value
$.50 per share ..................        2,400,000               $39.125              $93,900,000             $32,377
=============================================================================================================================
</TABLE>

(1)      Computed,  pursuant to Rule 457,  solely for the purpose of calculating
         the  registration  fee, based on the average of the high and low prices
         of the Common Stock on May 6, 1996.


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------



<PAGE>











                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT


Item 3.   Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

         The following documents filed by the Registrant with the Securities and
Exchange  Commission (the "Commission") are incorporated by reference and made a
part hereof:

                  (a)      The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the year ended December 31, 1995;

                  (b)      The Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for
the quarter ended March 31, 1996; and

                  (c) The description of the Registrant's Common Stock contained
in the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Commission
pursuant to Section 12 of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934 (the  "Exchange
Act") on January 29, 1985,  and any amendment or report filed for the purpose of
updating such description.

         All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a),  13(c), 14 and  15(d)  of the  Exchange  Act  prior  to the  filing  of a
post-effective  amendment which indicates that all securities  offered have been
sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold,  shall be deemed
to be  incorporated  by reference into this  Registration  Statement and to be a
part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.


Item 4.           Description of Securities.

         Not applicable.


Item 5.           Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

         Not applicable.




<PAGE>




Item 6.           Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

         The Maryland General Corporation Law authorizes  Maryland  corporations
to limit the  liability of directors  and  officers to the  Corporation  and its
stockholders  for money damages  except (i) to the extent that it is proved that
the  director or officer  actually  received  an  improper  benefit or profit in
money,  property or services,  for the amount of the benefit or profit  actually
received, (ii) to the extent that a judgment or other final adjudication adverse
to the director or officer is entered in a proceeding  based on a finding in the
proceeding that the director's or officer's  action,  or failure to act, was the
result of active and  deliberate  dishonesty  and was  material  to the cause of
action  adjudicated  in the  proceeding,  or (iii) in respect  of certain  other
actions not applicable to the Corporation.  The Corporation's  Charter so limits
the liability of directors and officers to the fullest  extent  permitted by the
Maryland General Corporation Law.

         The Maryland General Corporation Law also authorizes the Corporation to
indemnify  present and past  directors  and  officers of the  Corporation  or of
another  corporation  that  they may  serve at the  request  of the  Corporation
against  judgments,   penalties,  fines,  settlements  and  reasonable  expenses
(including attorneys' fees) actually incurred in connection with any threatened,
pending or completed  action,  suit, or  proceeding,  whether  civil,  criminal,
administrative, or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the
Corporation in respect of which the director or officer is adjudged to be liable
to the  Corporation) in which they are made parties by reason of being or having
been  directors or officers  unless it is proved that (i) the act or omission of
the director or officer was material to the cause of action  adjudicated and was
committed  in bad faith or was the result of active and  deliberate  dishonesty,
(ii) the director or officer actually received an improper  personal benefit in
money,  property or services, or (iii) in the case of any  criminal  proceeding,
the  director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or 
omission was unlawful.  The Maryland General Corporation Law also provides that,
unless limited by the Corporation's Charter, the Corporation shall indemnify 
present and past directors and officers of the  Corporation who are successful,
on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any threatened, pending or 
completed  action,  suit or  proceeding, whether civil, criminal,



                                                     - 2 -


<PAGE>



administrative  or  investigative,   against  reasonable   expenses   (including
attorneys' fees) incurred in connection with the proceeding.

         The By-Laws of the Corporation permit the  indemnification of directors
and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the Maryland General Corporation
Law,  and the  Corporation's  directors  and  officers  are  covered  by certain
insurance policies maintained by the Corporation.


Item 7.           Exemption from Registration Claimed.

         Not applicable.


Item 8.           Exhibits.

          4.      The Black & Decker 1996 Stock Option Plan  included as Exhibit
                  D to the Proxy  Statement  of the  Corporation  dated March 1,
                  1996,  for  the  1996  Annual  Meeting  of  Stockholders,   is
                  incorporated herein by reference.

          5.      Opinion of Miles & Stockbridge, a Professional
                  Corporation.

         23.      Consent of Independent Auditors (the consent of counsel
                  is included in Exhibit 5).

         24.      Powers of Attorney.


Item 9.           Undertakings.

         (a)      The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

                  (1) To file,  during any  period in which  offers or sales are
being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

                         (i)      To include any prospectus required by Section
10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;




                                                     - 3 -


<PAGE>



                        (ii)      To reflect in the prospectus any facts or
events  arising after the effective date of the  Registration  Statement (or the
most recent  post-effective  amendment  thereof)  which,  individually or in the
aggregate,  represent a fundamental  change in the  information set forth in the
Registration Statement; and

                       (iii)      To include any material information with
respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in
the Registration Statement or any material change to such
information in the Registration Statement;

         Provided,  however,  that subparagraphs (1)(i) and (1)(ii) do not apply
if the  information  required to be included in a  post-effective  amendment  by
those  subparagraphs  is contained in periodic  reports filed by the  Registrant
pursuant  to  Section  13  or  Section  15(d)  of  the  Exchange  Act  that  are
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

                  (2)That,  for the purpose of determining  any liability  under
the Securities Act of 1933, each such  post-effective  amendment shall be deemed
to be a new Registration  Statement  relating to the securities offered therein,
and the  offering  of such  securities  at that  time  shall be deemed to be the
initial bona fide offering thereof.

                  (3)To remove from  registration  by means of a  post-effective
amendment  any of the  securities  being  registered  which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

         (b) The undersigned  Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining  any liability  under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's  annual  report  pursuant to Section  13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act (and, where  applicable,  each filing of an employee benefit plan's
annual  report   pursuant  to  Section  15(d)  of  the  Exchange  Act)  that  is
incorporated by reference in the Registration  Statement shall be deemed to be a
new Registration  Statement relating to the securities offered therein,  and the
offering of such  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

         (c)      Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising
under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors,



                                                     - 4 -


<PAGE>


officers and  controlling  persons of the  Registrant  pursuant to the foregoing
provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of
the Securities and Exchange  Commission such  indemnification  is against public
policy  as  expressed  in  the  Securities  Act  of  1933  and  is,   therefore,
unenforceable.  In the  event  that a claim  for  indemnification  against  such
liabilities  (other than the payment by the  Registrant of expenses  incurred or
paid by a  director,  officer or  controlling  person of the  Registrant  in the
successful  defense of any  action,  suit or  proceeding)  is  asserted  by such
director,  officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been  settled by  controlling  precedent,  submit to a court of  appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such  indemnification  by it is against public
policy as  expressed in the  Securities  Act of 1933 and will be governed by the
final adjudication of such issue.




                                                     - 5 -


<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES


         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized, in the City of Towson, State of Maryland, on May 13, 1996.

                                       THE BLACK & DECKER CORPORATION


                                       By:/S/ CHARLES E. FENTON
                                              Charles E. Fenton
                                              Vice President and
                                              General Counsel


         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities and on the date indicated.

     Signature                      Title                         Date

Principal Executive
Officer


/S/ NOLAN D. ARCHIBALD        Chairman, President                 May 13, 1996
    Nolan D. Archibald        and Chief Executive
                              Officer

Principal Financial
Officer


/S/ THOMAS M. SCHOEWE         Vice President                      May 13, 1996
    Thomas M. Schoewe         and Chief Financial
                              Officer

Principal Accounting
Officer


/S/ STEPHEN R. REEVES         Corporate Controller                May 13, 1996
    Stephen F. Reeves




         This  Registration  Statement  also has been  signed  by the  following
Directors, who constitute a majority of the Board of Directors:






Nolan D. Archibald*                                     Anthony Luiso*
Barbara L. Bowles*                                      Lawrence R. Pugh*
Malcolm Candlish*                                       Mark H. Willes*
Alonzo G. Decker, Jr.*                                  M. Cabell Woodward, Jr.*



*By: /S/ CHARLES E. FENTON                              May 13, 1996
         Charles E. Fenton
         Attorney-In-Fact
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "secsgml_size_bytes": 15302}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "BLACK & DECKER CORP", "cik": "0000012355", "assigned-sic": "3540", "irs-number": "520248090", "state-of-incorporation": "MD", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-03593", "film-number": "96561586"}, "business-address": {"street1": "701 E JOPPA RD", "city": "TOWSON", "state": "MD", "zip": "21286", "phone": "4107163310"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "701 EAST JOPPA ROAD", "city": "TOWSON", "state": "MD", "zip": "21286"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "BLACK & DECKER MANUFACTURING CO", "date-changed": "19850206"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 13, 1996.
                                                  Registration No. 33-
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                                 ---------------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      Under
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                                 ---------------

                         THE BLACK & DECKER CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

          Maryland                                       52-0248090
(State or other jurisdiction of             (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
 incorporation or organization)

                               701 East Joppa Road
                             Towson, Maryland 21286
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

                    The Black & Decker 1996 Stock Option Plan
                            (Full title of the plan)

                           Charles E. Fenton, Esquire
                       Vice President and General Counsel
                         The Black & Decker Corporation
                               701 East Joppa Road
                             Towson, Maryland 21286
                                 (410) 716-3900
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, 
 of agent for service)

                                   Copies to:
                           Glenn C. Campbell, Esquire
                              Miles & Stockbridge,
                           A Professional Corporation
                                 10 Light Street
                            Baltimore, Maryland 21202
                                 ---------------

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
=============================================================================================================================
Proposed
                                                                Proposed                maximum
                                                                maximum                aggregate             Amount of
       Title of securities             Amount to be          offering price            offering             registration
         to be registered                registered           per share (1)             price(1)                fee
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, par value
$.50 per share ..................        2,400,000               $39.125              $93,900,000             $32,377
=============================================================================================================================
(1)      Computed,  pursuant to Rule 457,  solely for the purpose of calculating
         the  registration  fee, based on the average of the high and low prices
         of the Common Stock on May 6, 1996.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.   Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

         The following documents filed by the Registrant with the Securities and
Exchange  Commission (the "Commission") are incorporated by reference and made a
part hereof:

                  (a)      The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the year ended December 31, 1995;

                  (b)      The Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for
the quarter ended March 31, 1996; and

                  (c) The description of the Registrant's Common Stock contained
in the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Commission
pursuant to Section 12 of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934 (the  "Exchange
Act") on January 29, 1985,  and any amendment or report filed for the purpose of
updating such description.

         All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a),  13(c), 14 and  15(d)  of the  Exchange  Act  prior  to the  filing  of a
post-effective  amendment which indicates that all securities  offered have been
sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold,  shall be deemed
to be  incorporated  by reference into this  Registration  Statement and to be a
part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

Item 4.           Description of Securities.

         Not applicable.

Item 5.           Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

         Not applicable.
Item 6.           Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

         The Maryland General Corporation Law authorizes  Maryland  corporations
to limit the  liability of directors  and  officers to the  Corporation  and its
stockholders  for money damages  except (i) to the extent that it is proved that
the  director or officer  actually  received  an  improper  benefit or profit in
money,  property or services,  for the amount of the benefit or profit  actually
received, (ii) to the extent that a judgment or other final adjudication adverse
to the director or officer is entered in a proceeding  based on a finding in the
proceeding that the director's or officer's  action,  or failure to act, was the
result of active and  deliberate  dishonesty  and was  material  to the cause of
action  adjudicated  in the  proceeding,  or (iii) in respect  of certain  other
actions not applicable to the Corporation.  The Corporation's  Charter so limits
the liability of directors and officers to the fullest  extent  permitted by the
Maryland General Corporation Law.

         The Maryland General Corporation Law also authorizes the Corporation to
indemnify  present and past  directors  and  officers of the  Corporation  or of
another  corporation  that  they may  serve at the  request  of the  Corporation
against  judgments,   penalties,  fines,  settlements  and  reasonable  expenses
(including attorneys' fees) actually incurred in connection with any threatened,
pending or completed  action,  suit, or  proceeding,  whether  civil,  criminal,
administrative, or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the
Corporation in respect of which the director or officer is adjudged to be liable
to the  Corporation) in which they are made parties by reason of being or having
been  directors or officers  unless it is proved that (i) the act or omission of
the director or officer was material to the cause of action  adjudicated and was
committed  in bad faith or was the result of active and  deliberate  dishonesty,
(ii) the director or officer actually received an improper  personal benefit in
money,  property or services, or (iii) in the case of any  criminal  proceeding,
the  director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or 
omission was unlawful.  The Maryland General Corporation Law also provides that,
unless limited by the Corporation's Charter, the Corporation shall indemnify 
present and past directors and officers of the  Corporation who are successful,
on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any threatened, pending or 
completed  action,  suit or  proceeding, whether civil, criminal,

                                                     - 2 -
administrative  or  investigative,   against  reasonable   expenses   (including
attorneys' fees) incurred in connection with the proceeding.

         The By-Laws of the Corporation permit the  indemnification of directors
and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the Maryland General Corporation
Law,  and the  Corporation's  directors  and  officers  are  covered  by certain
insurance policies maintained by the Corporation.

Item 7.           Exemption from Registration Claimed.

         Not applicable.

Item 8.           Exhibits.

          4.      The Black & Decker 1996 Stock Option Plan  included as Exhibit
                  D to the Proxy  Statement  of the  Corporation  dated March 1,
                  1996,  for  the  1996  Annual  Meeting  of  Stockholders,   is
                  incorporated herein by reference.

          5.      Opinion of Miles & Stockbridge, a Professional
                  Corporation.

         23.      Consent of Independent Auditors (the consent of counsel
                  is included in Exhibit 5).

         24.      Powers of Attorney.

Item 9.           Undertakings.

         (a)      The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

                  (1) To file,  during any  period in which  offers or sales are
being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

                         (i)      To include any prospectus required by Section
10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

                                                     - 3 -
(ii)      To reflect in the prospectus any facts or
events  arising after the effective date of the  Registration  Statement (or the
most recent  post-effective  amendment  thereof)  which,  individually or in the
aggregate,  represent a fundamental  change in the  information set forth in the
Registration Statement; and

                       (iii)      To include any material information with
respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in
the Registration Statement or any material change to such
information in the Registration Statement;

         Provided,  however,  that subparagraphs (1)(i) and (1)(ii) do not apply
if the  information  required to be included in a  post-effective  amendment  by
those  subparagraphs  is contained in periodic  reports filed by the  Registrant
pursuant  to  Section  13  or  Section  15(d)  of  the  Exchange  Act  that  are
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

                  (2)That,  for the purpose of determining  any liability  under
the Securities Act of 1933, each such  post-effective  amendment shall be deemed
to be a new Registration  Statement  relating to the securities offered therein,
and the  offering  of such  securities  at that  time  shall be deemed to be the
initial bona fide offering thereof.

                  (3)To remove from  registration  by means of a  post-effective
amendment  any of the  securities  being  registered  which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

         (b) The undersigned  Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining  any liability  under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's  annual  report  pursuant to Section  13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act (and, where  applicable,  each filing of an employee benefit plan's
annual  report   pursuant  to  Section  15(d)  of  the  Exchange  Act)  that  is
incorporated by reference in the Registration  Statement shall be deemed to be a
new Registration  Statement relating to the securities offered therein,  and the
offering of such  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

         (c)      Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising
under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors,

                                                     - 4 -
officers and  controlling  persons of the  Registrant  pursuant to the foregoing
provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of
the Securities and Exchange  Commission such  indemnification  is against public
policy  as  expressed  in  the  Securities  Act  of  1933  and  is,   therefore,
unenforceable.  In the  event  that a claim  for  indemnification  against  such
liabilities  (other than the payment by the  Registrant of expenses  incurred or
paid by a  director,  officer or  controlling  person of the  Registrant  in the
successful  defense of any  action,  suit or  proceeding)  is  asserted  by such
director,  officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been  settled by  controlling  precedent,  submit to a court of  appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such  indemnification  by it is against public
policy as  expressed in the  Securities  Act of 1933 and will be governed by the
final adjudication of such issue.

                                                     - 5 -
SIGNATURES

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized, in the City of Towson, State of Maryland, on May 13, 1996.

                                       THE BLACK & DECKER CORPORATION

                                       By:/S/ CHARLES E. FENTON
                                              Charles E. Fenton
                                              Vice President and
                                              General Counsel

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities and on the date indicated.

     Signature                      Title                         Date

Principal Executive
Officer

/S/ NOLAN D. ARCHIBALD        Chairman, President                 May 13, 1996
    Nolan D. Archibald        and Chief Executive
                              Officer

Principal Financial
Officer

/S/ THOMAS M. SCHOEWE         Vice President                      May 13, 1996
    Thomas M. Schoewe         and Chief Financial
                              Officer

Principal Accounting
Officer

/S/ STEPHEN R. REEVES         Corporate Controller                May 13, 1996
    Stephen F. Reeves

         This  Registration  Statement  also has been  signed  by the  following
Directors, who constitute a majority of the Board of Directors:

Nolan D. Archibald*                                     Anthony Luiso*
Barbara L. Bowles*                                      Lawrence R. Pugh*
Malcolm Candlish*                                       Mark H. Willes*
Alonzo G. Decker, Jr.*                                  M. Cabell Woodward, Jr.*

*By: /S/ CHARLES E. FENTON                              May 13, 1996
         Charles E. Fenton
         Attorney-In-Fact