What do I have here Keen Kutter?

[2oolhound]

Hey all







So I am guessing these are probably ok for copper wire and nails, and not much else. Thoughts?

Anyone seen these by another mfg? My other blades are not marked KK, even after removing some of the rusty patina. Wondering if these go on the TB K12, need to poke through another catalog.

Look for Carew pliers. They were popular for riggers in the logging industry. Used for cutting and tightening steel wire when spicing wire rope.

 

[four.cycle]

Carew / Frank Carew, South Hadley Falls, MA / patent 107334 Sep 13 1870 F. Carew / "Carew's patent cutter" / http://progress-is-fine.blogspot.com/2012/04/vanished-makes-carew-patent-cutting.html /

see also:
"Nettleton Nipper" patent 821183

 

[RTM]

Look for Carew pliers. They were popular for riggers in the logging industry. Used for cutting and tightening steel wire when spicing wire rope.

The Nettletons actually have the correct jaw shape. The Carews are a bit fancier shape, based on 4.c’s images.

Thanks for the nudges both of you.

 

[four.cycle]

We are now officially far beyond the parameters of "Keen Kutter", but I do not believe we have a dedicated thread for either Carew or Nettleton, and I will spare you the agony of having to explore those rabbit holes yourself, so here you go:

 

[yhprum]

Fun fact, this hotel in Wichita was a Keen Kutter warehouse. Lots of memorabilia inside.

Wichita, KS Old Town Hotel: Restored, Historic Downtown Hotel

Hotel at Old Town is a historical building in the heart of Wichita, KS and used to be a busy 4-story warehouse for the Keen Kutter brand of tools.

www.hotelatoldtown.com

 

[Neighbor]

I've stayed at that Wichita Hotel. Great place. Lots of historic memorabilia.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

My first Keen Kutter find since summer of 2021 turned out to be a real doozy! An adjustable (8"-12") hacksaw frame. To use different blade lengths, you push those buttons at the top and slide in or out into graduated holes. The frame halves are retained by a built-in spring-steel sheath. It does not break down. Twist handle type with a rather sophisticated little spring-loaded button to pop the blade off. It's not marked with a model number, but I found it in the 1912 catalog on IA/ITCL. Model No. 188A.

 

[four.cycle]

WOW! that is some piece of work there.
so.... you push that little button in on the middle of the frame, and that releases the catch thingie and allows you to adjust the length of the frame? did I get that right?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The frame is in two halves, plus the sheath where they are joined. Each half has a "button" - in actuality, it's a just a lug at the top of each half. That long spring steel piece is keeping the lugs through the holes. So you are just freeing it up to slide by pushing it through the hole. You have to back the handle off to release some tension on the blade, first, which pops off with that spring-loaded mechanism near the handle.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Another piece for the Keen Kutter shelf...

 

[Beerhippie]

Not a shop tool, but a tool nonetheless:



Got it for free today!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

For making some keenly ground venison patties! Nice find.

 

[Mintgrun]

I try to resist bringing more braces home, but the metal bands on the handle caught my eye and the three dollar price tag sealed the deal. It had a coat of yellow paint when I found it, which I washed off with a little adhesive remover.



It's marked No. 124 and the chuck's stamped E.C. Simmons BB Braces. BB, as in Ball Bearing.



So, technically it might not belong in this thread, because it isn't marked Keen Kutter, but there's an example on ePay that has KK stamped in the same place on the chuck. I'm thinking mine's a little older.



I found one like it in the E.C. Simmons 1912 catalogue; although the ratchet's teeth appear to be exposed in that one. The selector grip looks like mine, as opposed to the fully knurled ePay example. I hadn't heard of "Blue Brand" before seeing this page.

E.C. Simmons Keen Kutter : Catalogue No. 776 : Simmons' Manual Training Blue Book : Simmons Hardware Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

513 p., illus., 25.8 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

The banded grip would allow the split wood handle to be installed after the metal frame had been bent. The bands are soft enough to scratch with my thumbnail, so I'm thinking they were simply swedged into the grooves in the handle.



The two jaw chuck has interesting interlocking teeth.



I like the E.C. Simmons quote on that catalog page,

"The recollection of QUALITY remains long after the PRICE is forgotten."

 

[RTM]

The banded grip would allow the split wood handle to be installed after the metal frame had been bent. The bands are soft enough to scratch with my thumbnail, so I'm thinking they were simply swedged into the grooves in the handle.

A friend pours pewter into brace handles to repair them with some panache. Pewter can be soft I’m told.

 

[Mintgrun]

I was guessing pewter too. I think the bands add a nice decorative detail.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

It's been a while (since June 2024, to be exact) since I found a Keen Kutter piece, which ended this morning with this teeny tiny brace bit. Took a family shot (missing one straggler - a chisel).

 

[Mintgrun]

I found another tool marked "Blue Brand" and googling it brought up an article in Collectors Weekly, which said, "The success of Keen Kutter led Simmons to develop other brands, including Blue Brand, which was second in quality and price to Keen Kutter." I learned a bit about the history of the company in that article. Here's a link.

Keen Kutter Antique and Vintage Items | Collectors Weekly

Shop for-and learn about-Keen Kutter Antique and Vintage Items. One night in the mid-1860s, Edward Campbell Simmons, a junior partner at Waters, Simmons and...

www.collectorsweekly.com

Here's the framing square.



I'd have left it behind, if not for the branding, since I already have quite a few. One of the things I've noticed is that some of them are thick in the corner and taper down towards the ends; putting the strength where it matters and making them easier to handle. This one is .135 thick in the corner and .075" at the ends. (The thickest example I have is .185" in the corner, tapering to .075").

I sometimes try to gauge the age based on the font stamped into them. Not accurately, just "hey, that looks old." This one uses a few different styles of numerals, as can be seen in the #2. I'll have to take a closer look at some of the others, to see how consistent their numerals are.

 

[d42jeep]

I found this drill bit yesterday at an antique shop. I didn’t realize until I got it home and started cleaning it up that it was a Keen Kutter. It needed some re-sharpening so I took care of it with the drill doctor.
It ended up in the drawer of the Kennedy box with the other miscellaneous brands.
-Don

 

[Mintgrun]

I went to my five favorite honey holes today, covering nearly 100 miles and only bought one old screwdriver. I like this style, with the ribbed bulge above the ferrule and have a hard time leaving them behind, in part because I enjoy straightening and cleaning them up.

​

I couldn't see any markings until I got it home and was thrilled to see the Keen Kutter logo stamped into the shank. Then, I noticed PAT. 3-24-03 stamped just below the ferrule. The markings are hard to photograph.

​

It was fun to pick all the paint drips off and clean the gunk out of the grooves. I wondered if the flutes in the handle were done by a previous owner because I'm not used to seeing so many, but I get the feeling they were a feature from the factory. The overall length is 11-1/4".

​

Here's the patent description from DATAMP and a link below. (# 723,523)

The patent is for a solid shank extending through the handle of the tool, and with a broad broad square surface set flush with the end of the handle to allow the shank to be struck with a hammer without splitting the handle.

A screwdriver marked PAT 3/24/03 has a solid shank extending through the handle, but the end cap completely covers the end of the handle.

The screwdriver also has a heavy hex collar attached to the shank below the handle ferule. The hex collar allows a wrench to be used for extra turning force.

Samples marked 'STANLEY,VICTOR,PAT.03-24-03 WOOD' and do not have hex collar. Stanley sold these screwdrivers under the Victor name in the 1905 #34 catalog.

US Patent: 723,523 - Screw Driver or Kindred Tool

US patent 723,523 Screw Driver or Kindred Tool was issued to Patrick H. Garrity of Waterbury, CT. It was granted on 03/24/1903. The patent is for a solid shank extending through the handle of the tool, and with a broad broad square surface set flush with the end of the handle t

www.datamp.org

It was Patrick Garrity's only patent (according to DATAMP).



I just confirmed that the fluting is original. Here they are in the 1912 catalog (thanks to the Internet Archive).

​

E.C. Simmons Keen Kutter : Catalogue No. 776 : Simmons' Manual Training Blue Book : Simmons Hardware Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

513 p., illus., 25.8 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

Tom

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I went to my five favorite honey holes today, covering nearly 100 miles and only bought one old screwdriver.

If you're only going to come home with one, you sure made it a good one!

(Always enjoy your patient, pre-researched posting approach.)

 

[RTM]

Always enjoy your patient, pre-researched posting approach.)

And pre cleaned too.!

 

[Mintgrun]

If you're only going to come home with one, you sure made it a good one!

(Always enjoy your patient, pre-researched posting approach.)

Thank you. (I'm trying to follow your lead).
It's funny that my discovery mirrored the title of this thread.
"What do I have here? Keen Kutter!!"

And pre cleaned too.!

I've been tempted to ask if people have as-found photos to share when they post the post-cleaned photos; but have resisted so far. I struggle with how much to clean stuff up and HATE it when I feel like I've gone too far and erased some of the charm. Looking back at these screwdriver photos I feel a little bit guilty about removing its history, but I tried to be gentle about it.

My first inclination was to electrolysize it, by dangling the metal end in the bucket, but I used wire brushes and soap instead. Long soaks in the bucket followed by wire brushes can leave them looking raw. If I could do this one again, I'd give it a short (ten minute) swim and then use tooth brushes and soap. If that wasn't enough, I could try wire brushes after that. It's hard to be patient sometimes.

That 1912 catalog has 513 pages! While flipping through it, I recognized and old scraper I found a while back. The illustration shows branding on the wood handle, but it's long gone on mine. I'm sharing it in this thread anyway, because it's a dead ringer, aside from the blade width. PATENT APPLIED FOR is the only writing on mine, aside from a little C on the wing nut.






I've owned this Keen Kutter gouge for a while now and might as well share it, since I'm on a roll.
It's 3/8" wide and 8-1/2" long with an inside bevel. No handle (yet).





I like the thick collar. The gouges in the catalog don't have that detail.



Tom

 

[Private Lugnutz]

It's funny that my discovery mirrored the title of this thread.
"What do I have here? Keen Kutter!!"

That is funny.

I tried to be gentle about it.

And you were successful. Looks great. Like it would if it had just aged as a well-used and well-cared-for tool instead of being left with paint spatter on top of paint spatter on top of paint spatter.

While flipping through it, I recognized and old scraper I found a while back

I love when that happens! That's a cool example.