Tom Graham
Well-known member
@TimmoTool You’ve likely already seen this ITCL ad from July 1923 in Good Hardware for the 612 and 616 tackle boxes, right?
Kennedy Kits Tool Or Tackle Box Age
- Thread starter LaneFowler
- Start date
Tom Graham
Well-known member
Congratulations. You have already determined a much closer date range for your Kennedy Manufacturing Co. box (tool or tackle) than most.
What you can personally continue to contribute further here on GJ will likely add to the overall body of knowledge.
In the absence of an original sales receipt, dating our vintage or antique collectibles is an inexact science, whether date of manufacture or date of purchase (from inventory).
I do believe that the original decal (when present) in use on your box is one of the indications of some of the very earliest boxes -- in each series.
But you should be aware that it‘s only one clue — and Kennedy used at least three different variations of this same gold Kennedy Kits decal on different boxes over time and of different series:
1) no reference to Patent, 2) Patent Pending and 3) Patented.
What you can personally continue to contribute further here on GJ will likely add to the overall body of knowledge.
In the absence of an original sales receipt, dating our vintage or antique collectibles is an inexact science, whether date of manufacture or date of purchase (from inventory).
I do believe that the original decal (when present) in use on your box is one of the indications of some of the very earliest boxes -- in each series.
But you should be aware that it‘s only one clue — and Kennedy used at least three different variations of this same gold Kennedy Kits decal on different boxes over time and of different series:
1) no reference to Patent, 2) Patent Pending and 3) Patented.
Tom Graham
Well-known member
Stamped patent references can be helpful in approximating age, but only when the referenced patent and date are verified. Even when a patent can be confidently identified, the patent date typically establishes an earliest possible manufacture date, not an exact one. In this era, U.S. utility patents were valid for 17 years, so hardware based on a 1916 patent could plausibly have been manufactured anytime between about 1916 and 1933.
For those Kennedy boxes with the hasp lock stamped “KENNEDY PAT’D 9-16-16”, the date September 16 is not an exactly accurate date for a patent application or issuance.
However, I do believe the year 1916 of the patent reference is correct for the hasp-lock. After a lengthy search, a compelling match for the hasp hardware often stamped “PAT’D 9-16-16” on Kennedy Kits and similar Corbin-supplied locks is:
https://patents.google.com/patent/US1202002A/
This is U.S. Patent 1,202,002, filed August 11, 1915 by E. B. Stone, granted October 17, 1916, and assigned to The American Hardware Corporation—the parent of Corbin Cabinet Lock at that time.
So my question is: Isn’t this (US1202002A) likely the 1916 patent intended?
For those Kennedy boxes with the hasp lock stamped “KENNEDY PAT’D 9-16-16”, the date September 16 is not an exactly accurate date for a patent application or issuance.
However, I do believe the year 1916 of the patent reference is correct for the hasp-lock. After a lengthy search, a compelling match for the hasp hardware often stamped “PAT’D 9-16-16” on Kennedy Kits and similar Corbin-supplied locks is:
https://patents.google.com/patent/US1202002A/This is U.S. Patent 1,202,002, filed August 11, 1915 by E. B. Stone, granted October 17, 1916, and assigned to The American Hardware Corporation—the parent of Corbin Cabinet Lock at that time.
So my question is: Isn’t this (US1202002A) likely the 1916 patent intended?
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RTM
Well-known member
Looking good. I was working on a brute force search, using Sept in my terms, thinking that was the easy part to get right. Couple of possibles have come up, but yours looks far more possible, and with the parent company being there, seals it for me. Well done.However, I do believe the year 1916 of the patent reference is correct for the hasp-lock. After a lengthy search, a compelling match for the hasp hardware often stamped “PAT’D 9-16-16” on Kennedy Kits and similar Corbin-supplied locks is:
This is U.S. Patent 1,202,002, filed August 11, 1915 by E. B. Stone, granted October 17, 1916, and assigned to The American Hardware Corporation—the parent of Corbin Cabinet Lock at that time.
So my question is: Isn’t this (US1202002A) likely the 1916 patent intended?
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This is fantastic research… My Corbin Lock is simply stamped “Kennedy”, and the decal doesn’t reference “patented”. If the 1916 patent lasted 17 years, does a lock that is only stamped Kennedy combined with a Kennedy Kit Logo mean that the box was produced beyond the patent expiration in 1933?
Family History would align with 1920’s -30’s for this Model 621 Tackle box
Family History would align with 1920’s -30’s for this Model 621 Tackle box
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RTM
Well-known member
That’s my assumption
Tom Graham
Well-known member
@TimmoTool*,
“Anyone know when the Model 621 went out of production?”
One of your very best sources to narrow down the date range for your tackle box is to search the Fishing/tackle and sporting goods magazines. Since you have at least one ad for the Kennedy tackle boxes, search successive years and identify when your specific model first appeared (obviously gives you an “at least by this time”) and then search successive years to see whether other models continue but then your model is dropped (this would give you a likely/possibly dropped before this date)(I.e., They wouldn’t continue to advertise after it was discontinued .)
Personally, I would be hesitant to use the absence of a “Patented” reference to confirm anything other than…
unlikely to have been manufactured at the same time as an identical model with provenance positively tied to a date / range that does have a Patented reference.
“Patent” references by the Patent holder were likely primarily a marketing strategy (and an attempt to reduce the likelihood of copycats/infringement.
In the case of the Corbin lock patent, I’d like to think that Kennedy was not trying to imply that they held the patent, but that it might have been a licensing requirement of Corbin for Kennedy to use the Corbin lock patent.
*presumably the same as @LaneFowler, the OP?
“Anyone know when the Model 621 went out of production?”
One of your very best sources to narrow down the date range for your tackle box is to search the Fishing/tackle and sporting goods magazines. Since you have at least one ad for the Kennedy tackle boxes, search successive years and identify when your specific model first appeared (obviously gives you an “at least by this time”) and then search successive years to see whether other models continue but then your model is dropped (this would give you a likely/possibly dropped before this date)(I.e., They wouldn’t continue to advertise after it was discontinued .)
Personally, I would be hesitant to use the absence of a “Patented” reference to confirm anything other than…
unlikely to have been manufactured at the same time as an identical model with provenance positively tied to a date / range that does have a Patented reference.
“Patent” references by the Patent holder were likely primarily a marketing strategy (and an attempt to reduce the likelihood of copycats/infringement.
In the case of the Corbin lock patent, I’d like to think that Kennedy was not trying to imply that they held the patent, but that it might have been a licensing requirement of Corbin for Kennedy to use the Corbin lock patent.
*presumably the same as @LaneFowler, the OP?
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Yes to presumption… I have been working on this a long time.
Based upon input…The Ads… The Patent Info… The Logo and random use of logos… Direct Contact to Kennedy… The use of Corbin Hasps and Locks… The box without the corner support brackets… The Leather Handle and the Half Moon shape of Handle … This Kennedy Kit Box dates to the 1920’s - 30’s … Unless proven otherwise… .
I have keys and a renewed leather handle… The restoration continues now with bodywork and paint…
Based upon input…The Ads… The Patent Info… The Logo and random use of logos… Direct Contact to Kennedy… The use of Corbin Hasps and Locks… The box without the corner support brackets… The Leather Handle and the Half Moon shape of Handle … This Kennedy Kit Box dates to the 1920’s - 30’s … Unless proven otherwise… .
I have keys and a renewed leather handle… The restoration continues now with bodywork and paint…
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rust in the eye
Well-known member
Can any of you fellows put a date on this one? Looks to be model S19 shown in the last page of the catalog pages posted by four.cycle. No date on that literature though. It is for sale and I've been representing it as from the 1970s, just want to be sure I'm representing it correctly.
Tag inside(no model number on it, just blank)has same type font as the catalog page I refer to. Plastic handle, square corners, no corner gussets, side catches by Worcester T&S (Tool & Stamping?), Rochdale Mass.
Tag inside(no model number on it, just blank)has same type font as the catalog page I refer to. Plastic handle, square corners, no corner gussets, side catches by Worcester T&S (Tool & Stamping?), Rochdale Mass.
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RTM
Well-known member
Think 1970s, based on this link
www.garagejournal.com
Font of the Kennedy, and the plastic handle seems to be about right in my brain, but who am I to argue with documented information.
And FYI, I put the page into Google Lens, and a few choices down it found @Pexto 's thread. All good tool searches come back to GJ.
Kennedy Toolbox brochure, ca. 1970
I was asked on the toolbox thread to post more from this 8-page Kennedy brochure. Background: this brochure was in amongst a bunch of tools my dad gave me. The brochure is undated; I believe my dad bought his roller, mid chest, and top box around 1966-67, and I'm absolutely positive he had...
www.garagejournal.com
Font of the Kennedy, and the plastic handle seems to be about right in my brain, but who am I to argue with documented information.
And FYI, I put the page into Google Lens, and a few choices down it found @Pexto 's thread. All good tool searches come back to GJ.
rust in the eye
Well-known member
Thanks RTM. That font does scream late 60s- 70s. That is the same brochure I saw in four.cycle's post, your direct to the Pexto tread has helped to put a likely date on it.
Looks like it is a refuge from the Nixon administration.
Looks like it is a refuge from the Nixon administration.
orangeblood
Well-known member
I'm also interested in GJ member thoughts / sources for replacing a vintage leather handle like this