Keen Kutter?

[JoeBob441]

I could use some help identifying a knife I recently bought at an auction. I had just won a John Primble congress with fancy bolsters (like on the cover of Blades Guide to Knives and their values) when the auctioneer brought out a Keen Kutter. Like a kid at the drive-in, I was overly excited and bid on the Keen Kutter even though I had not looked at it prior to. I bought it for $55. Upon inspection, it has etched on the front blade “KEEN KUTTER HAND MADE 860”. It is a 3 blade stockman and none of the tangs have a stamp. Probably in excellent to very good condition The knife is about 3-7/8 and I think the handles are peachseed delrin. It has a long match pull on the clip blade.

I have no idea who made the knife, when, or what it is worth. I just hope it is a USA knife. Any help would be appreciated. I expect bad news, but even that would be better than complete ignorance.
Thanks,
Joe

[jonet143]

hey joe, found a pic of the 860 with peach seed bone in sargent's 2nd edition. looks like yours. oval shield, match striker blade, etc. 1989 value $75.

with it being delrin, and "hand made' etch, i suspect 1960-1965. used by val test. attributed to schrade.

[JoeBob441]

Thank you much. That was good news that I did not expect.
Joe

[muskrat man]

I agree schrade/ulster manufacture. A nice one

[msteele6]

I believe that this knife was one of the ones produced by Schrade after Shapleigh Hardware went out of business in 1960. At that time Schrade acquired the trademark and produced knives with the Keen Kutter trademark. You will sometimes see Keen Kutters with Schrade's trademark peachseed bone jigging, generally with the Keen Kutter shield. Shapleigh had, in turn, acquired the Keen Kutter trademark from E.C. Simmons in about 1940 when E.C. Simmons hardware went out of business.

If I had to guess, I would say that this knife was produced by Schrade in the 1960's. It appears to have delrin handles with the peachseed jigging typical of Schrade.

[thawk]

Nice find Joe.

Here are the Schrade equivalents, with a bigger jig pattern. They jigged the peachseed pattern in some smaller patterns too. And Kaleb, you are right, Ulster did some Delrin in peachseed too, especially for Sears in the Craftsman line.


And an Imperial with similar handles, and SS blades.

[Pen & Toothpick]

Wish I had all of those in the Pen knife version......the Keen Kutter, the two Schrades and the Diamond Edge. Great knifes! Thank you for showing them.