Keen Kutter

[mickeyevans]

this is suppose to be a Simmons KK
I know they sold to Shapleigh Hardware Company in 1940 then they sold Val-Test, then Frost got involved in the 90's
any Idea when this knife was made, tang stamps look genuine and on both blades plus a model #
Mick

[knife-nut]

That is a Shapleigh era Keen Kutter. 1940-1960

[mickeyevans]

thanks for the info
does that mean Walden Knife Co manufactured this knife?
Did Walden Manufacture in Conn after the break up of Winchester?
or move back to NY?
Mick

[msteele6]

Knife appears to be a Camillus made Keen Kutter.

[mickeyevans]

does that KO1881 stamp tell us anything we can look up?
Mick

[Joe Dirt]

Nice knife, Mickey! Got a nice clear deep stamp on it. Does look Camillus from here too.
I don't know how many companies made knives for Simmons - but it was a lot of different ones.

I can't find a catalog with the No.'s in it... maybe someone else will.

...... Joe

[mickeyevans]

I emailed the seller, doodlefroodle and asked why he claimed it was a Simmons and the significance of KO1881
it is hard to tell if it is real bone as claimed because it is so dark
I will continue to research, learning allot about Simmons. Shapliegh and keen Kutter
I know that all the knives with those marks were made on contract
Mick

[0078]

Simmons roots are deep, seems they had there hand in a lot business ventures.

[Salernoslim]

Nice knife Mickey. The Simmons keen kutters had ec.simmons in the tang stamp above keen kutter.

[ea42]

Mickey, it appears that the model was made from 1905 to 1942. That particular tang stamp was started in 1939 though, so it falls somewhere between 1939 and 1942. Both Walden Knife Co and Winchester had ceased knife making operations by then, so not sure where it was made. BTW Simmons was purchased by Shapleigh in 1940.

Eric

[msteele6]

Knife does appear to be genuine bone. This knife was made by Camillus for Shapleigh using the newly acquired "Keen Kutter" trademark, circa 1940. By the way, many of the Keen Kutters made by Camillus had the underlined "K" as a prefix on their pattern numbers. You can look this knife up in Sellen's book on Keen Kutters for dates, of course since this particular pattern was offered over a long period of time they were made by at least two cutleries, Camillus and Winchester/Walden. The shield on this knife and the lack of the "E.C. Simmons" marking is what tells you it's a later Camillus made knife.

JMO

[mickeyevans]

thanks all, I am new and reading because I buy on ebay and don't trust the sellers descriptions
I am done buying till I study and closely examine what I have
Mick