Any Keen Kutter guys out there

[Berryb]

I got this one in a trade. Not technically KK. It's marked Simmons Hardware Co. No Keen Kutter anywhere on it. Could this really be pre 1870? It's got alot of off road miles on it, I think the blade is even about a half inch too short. I have a pretty high tolerance for honest wear though. Thanks
Bruce

[gsmith7158]

It may have had a blade etch at one time hard to say.

[deo-pa]

Perhaps it was made by Walden Knife Co., as they also made knives for Simmons early in the 20th century.

Dennis

[gsmith7158]

That looks very similar to some knives that we have recently discussed on aapk but I can't find the thread . Anybody else remember that?

[Berryb]

My old book says K.K. owned controlling interest in Walden 'til Winchester merged with Simmons in 1923. It's not clear when they started with Walden though. I've found 2 pics of this knife, both have the Keen Kutter logo struck into the tang. My guess was a pre K.K. made by Walden, but I'm new at this, and wantin' it to be that old don't make it so.
Bruce

[gsmith7158]

Btuce these old knife companies were so intertwined with each other supplying the needs of other companies on contract that it could have been 4 or 5 different makers.

[danno50]

Simmons Hardware Co used the Keen Kutter stamp on their premium knives. Over the years they also used a variety of other stamps on secondary lines of knives, Chipaway, Oak leaf and Laclede, to name a few. Alvin Sellens guide to Keen Kutter pocket knives says that Simmons Hardware Co was a stamp used on a secondary line of knives from approximately 1935 to 1942. Some of these knives had Simmons etched on the main blade and some didn't. Simmons Hardware Co owned controlling interest in Walden Knife Co from 1902 until 1922, when Simmons and Winchester merged. Simmons and Winchester parted ways in 1929. Another forum member with an extensive Keen Kutter collection believes that most of the Simmons (Keen Kutter) knives were still manufactured by Winchester (with some by Camillus in the later years) up until near the end of Simmons in July 1940, when they were bought out by Shapleigh. Good chance the OP knife was manufactured by Winchester. Below is a link to the thread mentioned above and another general one on Keen Kutters

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... =4&t=48727
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... 35&t=25178

Dan

EDIT: In thinking this over some more, I think your OP knife may also be older than I previously speculated and possible made by Walden. Simmons started having knives made by Walden in 1874. The Keen Kutter wedge and bar (sawtooth) logo was not used until 1905. Some of the Simmons stamped knives were likely from this time period. I have a Simmons Hardware Co stamped knife with a fancy scroll blade etch, which Sellens said was used from 1895 to 1916. Sellens used the data from 21 Simmons Hardware catalogs (from 1880 to 1940) and 3 Shapleigh Hardware catalogs (1940 to 1958) to compile his book. There are gaps of 3 to 5 years between some of the catalogs so he very surely did not catch every variation of knife ever produced.

[Berryb]

Thanks for the info Dan. Looks like I have more reading to do.
Bruce