Keen Kutter

[tallguy606]

Picked up a nice old Keen Kutter stockman from a pawnshop for $12. Tang stamp is worn, but definitely says E. C. Simmons. 3433 followed by a triangle shaped mark on the back side. 3 7/8 closed. Three blades, large clip, smaller clip, and pen on the other end. Shield inlay in brown jigged bone handle. Blades have some sharpening loss but are tight with good snap. What can somebody tell me about this knife? Thanks

[dlr110]

Pictures, pictures, please.

[danno50]

As David said, pictures please. The information below is from Alvin Sellens "Keen Kutter Pocket Knives". As you can see, your knife, being 3 7/8" in length, was made sometime between 1935 and 1940 (1940 being when Shapleigh bought out Simmons). We really like to see pictures. Also, there is a Keen Kutter thread in the brand specific area of the forum. It would be nice to see your knife in there as well.

[tallguy606]

The blades on mine are slightly different than the illustration. I am not able to post pictures, however, I have two good pictures in my email. If someone would help me, I could email you my pictures, and you could post them. PM me with your email if you would help me with this. Thanks.

[danno50]

Here are the pictures of tallguy's knife.

[danno50]

The pictures below are from a 1939 catalog reprint.

tallguy606, your knife appears to be a 3433 1/4. Sellens lists it as being made from 1914 through to 1942 at 4" and from 1939 to 1942 at 3 7/8". Are you sure about the length, as your knife appears to me to be earlier than 1939?

[tallguy606]

I measured it twice with a tape measure - once with the tab hooked over one end, and once laying it along the tape. Both look like 3 7/8 to me. And I wonder why the tang number on mine does not start with K? The ad calls one blade a "spey" but it is not shaped like a modern Case spey.

[danno50]

Most of the stamped pattern numbers on Keen Kutters do not start with the K. If the stamped pattern number is prefixed with a K, it is an indication that the knife was made by Camillus. The blades on your knife have been sharpened down quite a bit and this sharpening has reprofiled the spey blade. In terms of the length discrepancy, Sellens is not infallible. There are gaps of two to five years between catalogs put out by Simmons. It is likely that there were pattern variations that never made it into the catalogs.

[1967redrider]

Definitely a spey and not a sheepfoot.

[terryl308]

Nice old knife! I love the bone handle. If only it could talk.

[msteele6]

Here is my K3433, it's a Camillus made knife, ears on wedge, no E.C. Simmons which dates it to c. 1940, pattern number stamped on back K3433, length 3 7/8". Your knife appears to be an earlier, Winchester (Walden) made knife.