What do I have here Keen Kutter?

[jpickar]

I got this yesterday at a pawn shop. It says Keen Kutter. In the back side or maybe front side pics you can see it is broken. I'm not to sure exactly what the missing piece looks like because you can see from the side pic there is a spacer and a slot.
Any ideas what it is?
Thanks, John

 

[rlitman]

You have a broken universal bevel gauge that is missing the blade.

It should look like this:

 

[davethorik]

Bevel square missing the blade?

 

[jpickar]

Thanks!

 

[four.cycle]

"Keen Kutter" was the "house brand" name for products sold by the E.C. Simmons Hardware Company of St. Louis, Missouri.

more information HERE:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simmons_Hardware_Company
and HERE:
http://www.vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=1717

Apparently they had some relationship with Shapleigh Hardware Company of St.. Louis.
see HERE:
http://www.thckk.org/history/shapleigh-history.pdf

It is late and my brain just isn't capable of trying to make sense of it right now.

Woody, do we need a new thread on "Keen Cutter / Shapleigh / Simmons", or is there something up already? I only see a few inquiries having been made when I run a search here for "keen".

A couple early advertisements from the Simmons catalogs, but I do not find that unit shown in any of them. Maybe your eyes are better than mine:

 

[notlob]

If you have no use for that broken bevel square, I'd be happy to take it off your hands.

Some more Keen Kutter info:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6211557&postcount=2

 

[wrenchguy]

This brand is very collectable. I got a k-kutter lawn mower with a briggs engine on it… dates to 1951. never seen another.

 

[four.cycle]

* love the art nouveau illustration in the 1913 ad *

* anybody recognize the artist's logo at the lower left in the illustration? evocative of Alphonse Mucha, but that's definitely not his sign. *

 

[four.cycle]

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I picked up this little Keen Kutter brake tool today.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I picked up this NOS box of KEEN KUTTER razor blades at the flea market this morning. Not sure of the age. Anybody?

 

[notlob]

EC Simmons was bought by Shapleigh hardware in 1940 and changed the logo accordingly; so your blades date to 1940 or earlier.

I'd be interested in making a trade for those blades if you are willing to let them out of the Lugsonian.

 

[leg17]

I picked up this little Keen Kutter brake tool today.

Is that a cotter pin tool with the tip broken off?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

notlob: Thanks. I figured they were pre-Shapleigh, but I was wondering if anybody, such as the ad man (4.c) perhaps, or a norcal area Keen Kutter collector with a couple big fat catalogs, could be a little more precise!

I want to keep this pack. However, there were three packs in the box. I had pulled a bunch of things out hoping to make a pkg deal. When we couldn't agree on a price, I had to start putting things back, including the three packs of Keen Kutter blades. When we still couldn't agree on a newly negotiated price for the smaller pile I had made, I reached for one of the Keen Kutter packs and he agreed to throw it in. In hindsight, I probably should've grabbed all three. Cutting to the chase - I will try to get one of the other packs.

leg17: It's possible. They do have a similar shape. And that probably makes more sense.

 

[txlonghorn1989]

I picked up this NOS box of KEEN KUTTER razor blades at the flea market this morning. Not sure of the age. Anybody?

Great pick up Lugz! I'm not a Keen Kutter collector or anything just always love picking it up old stuff like this just for the old graphics. Never seen a razor blade shaped like this. Very cool!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...just always love picking it up old stuff like this just for the old graphics.

Me too. But then again, I'm a sucker for anything in its original packaging, attractive graphics or not. Not to encourage thread drift..., but here's a quick example. Goofy common little loop type coping saw I picked up yesterday just because of of the 1 gross box and 1 (of 12) remaining extra blade packs. I never even heard of G.W. Griffin, but had to have it!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

NOTLOB

Look what I got! PM me.

 

[damon18]

Normally the tools that show up locally on Facebook Marketplace are low priced "need to get rid of" stuff, so this caught my attention. I'm not a collector, just wondering if a wrench like this could really be worth $125 to anyone?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

They are definitely collectibles, and they have a following akin to Bluegrass or Winchester, but that seems exorbitant to me. But you never know, because some people will knowingly pay "too much" for something they've been looking for for a long time (I have!), and some people will pay "stupid money" for the same reason. But that is really high.

 

[DadsTools]

Also be aware that Keen Kutter is a name like Winchester that spawned a lot of counterfeit items to fool collectors. One example I remember offhand is any wall clock with a Keen Kutter logo face--complete fakes.

 

[d42jeep]

Real or fake?
-Don

 

[damon18]

Real or fake?
-Don

Don't know if it's real, but cool that it goes to 140 degrees! Ouch

 

[DadsTools]

Real or fake?
-Don

To the best of my knowledge, based on what were expert opinions I've read, all such items like this with the Keen Kutter logos are fakes. The logo and the name were so popular and novel that many fake items were made with it..

 

[DadsTools]

Take a look here.

https://www.realorrepro.com/article/Keen-Kutter-fakes-and-reproductions

According to this expert, the 140-degree thermometer is a fake. Many such items with the KK logo are simply fantasy pieces. As you can see from this article, there was some big money to be made with these fakes.

 

[DadsTools]

Here's some more KK fakes.

http://www.thckk.org/KKfakes.pdf

 

[bigredcornhead]

Normally the tools that show up locally on Facebook Marketplace are low priced "need to get rid of" stuff, so this caught my attention. I'm not a collector, just wondering if a wrench like this could really be worth $125 to anyone?

See the 3 dot hammer into this wrench, i have a ton of old tools from my familiy with these 3 dots sometimes 2 or 1. Was this simply for owners identification or is this something more than im thinking?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Added this can opener to my Keen Kutter collection today. Flea market find.

 

[toolfool1994]

Found a cool old picture for you Keen Kutter collectors. This is from my hometown of Carrollton, MS at some point in the late 60’s I believe.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Added this can opener to my Keen Kutter collection today. Flea market find.

I like it.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

Ok Keen Kutter fans. As briefly discussed in the vintage tool box thread here is an old carpenters chest that could be a real deal Keen Kutter. With all the talk of fakes in this thread I'm a little reluctant to say for sure until I see one in a catalog or similar picture of one online somewhere. I did find a catalog cut that showed three sizes of carpenters chest but not this size and not all the same features. This one is 36" wide OD, 19" deep, and 14" tall.

The chest does have the KK symbol recessed in the raised panel on top where a badge could have been and a distressed decal inside the lid that looks pretty good. The chest obviously shows some age but someone recently put a fresh layer of varnish on it, probably the PO. Here are a few pics....I liberated it and brought it home this afternoon. It will be a great place to keep a lot of my early carpentry tools regardless. I need to dig into a few more old catalogs. Ed.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Sweet find, Ed. I'm jealous! Congrats.

 

[r_olson_06]

I would second that. I know a big Keen collector up here. I will have to send him a few pics and see what he thinks about how rare it is.

Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrench 3061

 

[4xdog]

Lotta Keen Kutter collectors here in the Saint Louis area (and a lot of collectible stuff, too).

Up until a few years ago (at least) the Keen Kutter logo was faintly visible painted on the top of one of the old brick warehouses near the baseball stadium downtown. Simmons Hardware, too, on the old upper facade.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

Thanks Lugz and I really appreciate your comments from the vintage tool box thread. Helped push me over the edge.

Thanks Roy, hopefully some other collectors with Keen Kutter wall cabinets or chest can weigh in on features that could help confirm what I hope it is. Ed.

Thanks 4xdog. It is pretty neat seeing old faded advertising on the sides of the old brick buildings. It's getting harder to find them here in Western Oregon. Still some neat old historic feeling areas in Eastern Oregon though. Ed.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

Here are few more close-up pics of the decal/label on the KK chest. I've looked it over very closely now and under magnification and it's looking better to me that it is very likely original. No sign of intentional mechanical distress that I can find. It appears to me to simply show the aging that would occur over many years and humidity cycles moving with the wood. At this point I am pretty confident this Keen Kutter decal has been on this box for a long time. Ed.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I agree, it's original, Ed. Hey, I'm 2,800 miles away, but from here that dark splotchiness surrounding the decal, in the general shape of the decal, was somehow caused by the decal. Either some of the pigment from the decal seeped into the wood around it, possibly aided by someone trying to clean it, or that's a foreign substance that someone used to try to clean it.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I'd be tempted to sand down that area around the decal very carefully with a fine pin file or fine sandpaper around a flathead screwdriver as a block, then try to replicate the hue of the aged stained wood that is not affected.

Either way, still jealous!

 

[wrenchguy]

1952 Shapleigh's Keen Kutter self propelled reel lawnmower w/ Briggs Stratton Model 6 engine. need 1 hub cap.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

I agree, it's original, Ed. Hey, I'm 2,800 miles away, but from here that dark splotchiness surrounding the decal, in the general shape of the decal, was somehow caused by the decal. Either some of the pigment from the decal seeped into the wood around it, possibly aided by someone trying to clean it, or that's a foreign substance that someone used to try to clean it.

Thank you for the confirmation Lugz, even from clear across the nation it does mean a lot coming from you. Convincing myself took some doing though and I'd still love to see another example. As for further cleaning, I think I'm going with the minimalist approach for now, and leaving well enough alone. Ed.

Nice KK mower Wrenchguy. Amazing variety of products branded Keen Kutter.

 

[four.cycle]

I dug through every folder here and I can NOT find a "Keen Kutter" box that looks like that one.

On the hub cap: try mylawnmowerforum.com or mytractorforum.com

(* If restoring old mowers is your thing, I have a 1955 Toro Sportlawn 18-inch model here with a 5S B&S engine if you're interested. *)