Keen Kutter Barlow / Flea Mkt Find

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sandmountainslim

Joined
Sep 14, 2007
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Picked this up at a flea market today. Unsure of the vintage but I'm guessing probably the fifties or sixties.
I have a Russell Barlow, a German Russell and a Kutmaster but this is the first Keen Kutter barlow I have owned. Takes a good edge but I know little about the brand otherwise. Scales are sawcut black delrin type material.

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If I remember correctly keen kutter also had a line of axes too. Keen kutter was kind of the budget line of tools. Still used good steel, a lot better then the cheap no name made 440 stainless stuff companies use now.
 
sandmountainslim said:
Picked this up at a flea market today. Unsure of the vintage but I'm guessing probably the fifties or sixties.
I have a Russell Barlow, a German Russell and a Kutmaster but this is the first Keen Kutter barlow I have owned. Takes a good edge but I know little about the brand otherwise. Scales are sawcut black delrin type material.
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That's a great find and some good Barlows you have! :thumbup:
 
E.C. Simmons hardware company of St Louis Mo was the origin of the Keen Kutter logo. The Keen Kutter trademark was used on their highest quality tools. I have axes, rasps, hammers, etc with their diamond logo stamp. Lots of different tools carry the name. They were not a manufacturer, so no way to know for sure who actually made your sweet little Barlow. Here is a link for more info on Keen Kutter.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keen_Kutter
 
Nice barlow, sandmountainslim. Perhaps you could post photos of the mark and pile sides with the blades open? Does the tang stamp have "E.C. Simmons" on it? I am pretty sure it won't. Also, is there a pattern number stamped in the back of the main blade? Your knife was likely made in the 1950's (or 1960's) by ????
Ec Simmons started buying knives from Walden Knife Company in 1874. Simmons bought out controlling interest in Walden in 1902. Simmons adopted the Keen Kutter "wedge and bar" logo in 1905. (Some think it represents a saw tooth) The Keen Kutter marked pocket knives were the top line sold by EC Simmons. Winchester bought out Simmons Hardware in 1922. During the time period from 1902 to 1922, most, and likely all of the knives sold by EC Simmons were manufactured at the Walden Plant in Walden NY. In that regard, I actually would consider EC Simmons Hardware to be both a wholesaler and manufacturer of knives, as they actually owned the plant where their knives were made. E.C. Simmons was very interested in pocket knives from the time he was a boy and encouraged his salesman to push the pocket knife lines.
Winchester bought out Simmons Hardware in 1922 and knife manufacturing was moved from Walden to the Winchester facility in New Haven Connecticut. EC Simmons Hardware and Winchester separated again in 1929, most of the knives were likely made in the Winchester plant during this time period from 1923 to 1929.
During the time period from 1929 to early 1940, knives sold by EC Simmons were made by various manufacturers, most likely most knives were still made by Winchester and Camillus.
In July 1940 Shapleigh Hardware Company purchased EC Simmons Hardware Company. Shapleigh used the Keen Kutter logo, without the E.C. Simmons at the top of the wedge, from that time until 1959, when they closed. During the Shapleigh time, a lot of the knives were made by Camillus, some by Schrade, Utica, possibly Empire and other manufacturers.
In 1960 the Keen Kutter name and logo were purchase by Val Test Distributors. No idea who made their knives? Bear and Sons Cutlery currently makes knives stamped with the Keen Kutter logo, they are easily recognized.
The above information comes from "Keen Kutter Pocket Knives" by Alvin Sellens and also from various avid collectors of Keen Kutters who have posted on here and other forums.
Dan
 
danno50 said:
Nice barlow, sandmountainslim. Perhaps you could post photos of the mark and pile sides with the blades open? Does the tang stamp have "E.C. Simmons" on it? I am pretty sure it won't. Also, is there a pattern number stamped in the back of the main blade? Your knife was likely made in the 1950's (or 1960's) by ????
Ec Simmons started buying knives from Walden Knife Company in 1874. Simmons bought out controlling interest in Walden in 1902. Simmons adopted the Keen Kutter "wedge and bar" logo in 1905. (Some think it represents a saw tooth) The Keen Kutter marked pocket knives were the top line sold by EC Simmons. Winchester bought out Simmons Hardware in 1922. During the time period from 1902 to 1922, most, and likely all of the knives sold by EC Simmons were manufactured at the Walden Plant in Walden NY. In that regard, I actually would consider EC Simmons Hardware to be both a wholesaler and manufacturer of knives, as they actually owned the plant where their knives were made. E.C. Simmons was very interested in pocket knives from the time he was a boy and encouraged his salesman to push the pocket knife lines.
Winchester bought out Simmons Hardware in 1922 and knife manufacturing was moved from Walden to the Winchester facility in New Haven Connecticut. EC Simmons Hardware and Winchester separated again in 1929, most of the knives were likely made in the Winchester plant during this time period from 1923 to 1929.
During the time period from 1929 to early 1940, knives sold by EC Simmons were made by various manufacturers, most likely most knives were still made by Winchester and Camillus.
In July 1940 Shapleigh Hardware Company purchased EC Simmons Hardware Company. Shapleigh used the Keen Kutter logo, without the E.C. Simmons at the top of the wedge, from that time until 1959, when they closed. During the Shapleigh time, a lot of the knives were made by Camillus, some by Schrade, Utica, possibly Empire and other manufacturers.
In 1960 the Keen Kutter name and logo were purchase by Val Test Distributors. No idea who made their knives? Bear and Sons Cutlery currently makes knives stamped with the Keen Kutter logo, they are easily recognized.
The above information comes from "Keen Kutter Pocket Knives" by Alvin Sellens and also from various avid collectors of Keen Kutters who have posted on here and other forums.
Dan
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This is the mark side and the pile has "882" stamped on it.
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Sandmountainslim, I also have the identical knife. Looking at mine, I don't think it is actual delrin, but some other type of composition material or plastic material. One of the Keen Kutter collectors I mentioned in my first reply believes that the ones with the "horns" at the top of the wedge were made by Camillus. He is basing this on analysis of his own KK collection of over 200 knives and, I assume, also from photos and handling of others. The 882 pattern is not listed in Sellens' book, he only had catalogs from 1940, 1942 and 1958 to go on for the time Shapleigh was using the Keen Kutter logo. The earliest Camillus catalog I could find online was 1946 and in this catalog they list plastic as a handle material used. So, your knife was likely made by Camillus sometime between 1940 and 1960?
Dan
 
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danno50 said:
Sandmountainslim, I also have the identical knife. Looking at mine, I don't think it is actual delrin, but some other type of composition material or plastic material. One of the Keen Kutter collectors I mentioned in my first reply believes that the ones with the "horns" at the top of the wedge were made by Camillus. He is basing this on analysis of his own KK collection of over 200 knives and, I assume, also from photos and handling of others. The 882 pattern is not listed in Sellens' book, he only had catalogs from 1940, 1942 and 1958 to go on for the time Shapleigh was using the Keen Kutter logo. The earliest Camillus catalog I could find online was 1946 and in this catalog they list plastic as a handle material used. So, your knife was likely made by Camillus sometime between 1940 and 1960?
Dan
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Thanks! I googled images of Camillus Barlow's from that time period and several of them look identical to my knife save for markings.
 
Rather than start a new thread I'll throw this one in here. Saw this one at an antique store near my house. I've been wanting one for awhile, I loved the natural bone handle and the steel seemed to be mostly there and not sharpened away. She was pretty stiff in the joints but I thought she'd clean up pretty good. With some wd 40 she snaps like a brand new knife. No exageration. I couldn't be happier.








Off to sharpen it up and it will be in the pocket tomorrow.
 
duderubble said:
Rather than start a new thread I'll throw this one in here. Saw this one at an antique store near my house. I've been wanting one for awhile, I loved the natural bone handle and the steel seemed to be mostly there and not sharpened away. She was pretty stiff in the joints but I thought she'd clean up pretty good. With some wd 40 she snaps like a brand new knife. No exageration. I couldn't be happier.








Off to sharpen it up and it will be in the pocket tomorrow.
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That knife is beautiful! In my quest to find a Russell I had totally ignored Keen Kutter barlow's and had passed up a couple in the process. I am glad I finally gave them a try and have been carrying mine since saturday.
 
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