Requesting help with age of double bit Keen Kutter...

[BlackDuk98]

Thank you for any help. This is my first post here and am trying to find some info on this axe. I am not a collector, but always wanted a double bit axe because I am a man of manual labor. 99% of my tools are automotive, but I prefer vintage tools since they hold up to work and I enjoy chopping wood by hand for the year. I'm not one of those homeowners with their rented log splitter, I split it old school. I enjoy collecting many things and will add more double bits if I find them.

I came across this axe at an estate sale last week, almost passed it up since the handle is badly cracked, but for $5, I took it home since I always wanted one. I am a fan of the past, wild west, homesteaders, working the land so this was perfect. It was really rusty and in the back corner of a garage of a 90+ year old man. Cleaned some rust off to break the surface and then put it in the acid bath that I use for car parts, but took it out once words started showing up, plus I didn't want to lose the patina. I gambled and used it to chop down a few dead trees and the handle is way too dangerous, but this axe is amazing. When I pulled it from the acid, the hardened edges really showed up.

I researched what I could on it and you can see faintly that it says Keen Kutter on it. Most I see are 3lb ones with a 4" edge, but this appears to be a 4 lb with 5" edges. I am not sure about the letter "m" stamped into it. I found a pic online of one with a lot better stamping on it like mine ( not the triangle fancy logo) and they said it was from 1890-1910. Looking for verification. If it is that old, that's even better. I am not sure if I can find a handle for it, or if I should leave it all original. I would like to use it, but don't want to destroy any value.

Any info on this? I would really like to know the age.

Thank you,

-Mark jr.

 

[Steve Tall]

FWIW, according to Wikipedia, the logos in Figures 2 & 3 were used before 1900. Looking closely at the stamp might give more clues about whether they match.

Figures 1 through 4 are examples of logos used by Simmons Hardware Co. prior to 1900. The common trademark (Fig. 5) was first used around 1900. It represents the tooth of a saw through a piece of wood.
from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keen_Kutter

 

[BlackDuk98]

Thank you. I was looking for a logo timeline but never found one. The stamp is very faint in mine, but where it starts to say "Kutter", the letters start to go uphill just like in figure 2. My stamp is just so far gone, or never was stamped perfectly that the banner around the logo is just gone.

Being before 1900 just makes this axe even better.

Just need to figure out if I should re-handle it, or leave it alone and just display it. If the handle was not cracked, I would definitely use it.

Thanks,

-Mark jr.

FWIW, according to Wikipedia, the logos in Figures 2 & 3 were used before 1900. Looking closely at the stamp might give more clues about whether they match.

Figures 1 through 4 are examples of logos used by Simmons Hardware Co. prior to 1900. The common trademark (Fig. 5) was first used around 1900. It represents the tooth of a saw through a piece of wood.
from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keen_Kutter

 

[BlackDuk98]

Is this something that I should display since it's so old, or re-handle it and use it? It chops amazingly and I would like to put it back to use but would hate to ruin its value if it is rare.

-thank you

 

[cityofthesouth]

tough call. I'd be inclined not to use it just because there are good users out there.

 

[BlackDuk98]

I guess if it isn't really valuable, I will try and find a new handle and use it. I would hate to just look at it and collect dust. Be like chopping wood back in time lol.

Thanks

-Mark jr.

 

[Agent_H]

I guess if it isn't really valuable, I will try and find a new handle and use it. I would hate to just look at it and collect dust. Be like chopping wood back in time lol.

Thanks

-Mark jr.

Valuable is a relative word. The Keen Kutter brand goes back a ways. I am looking at scans of a 1931 catalog (Thank you Blackburn Tools) and see the straight/horizontal Keen Kutter mark like yours (from the pictures). There are some plain stamps on some of the "budget" models that might have been a pre-cursor.





That is all speculation and a general take on when I see them in person, the internet, that one catalog. I could be very wrong as well.

It probably is a quality axe and would have great edge retention and an overall nice build that lends itself to getting picked up and used.

But, there are a lot of other axes that need to be fed - as mentioned above.

Now, it's not my axe, so I have no business influencing your decision but if you are thinking twice then use another one.



Nothing wrong with using it or hanging on to it to enjoy.

 

[BlackDuk98]

Thanks for those pics. I haven't seen those versions of the logo before. What has got me leaning towards the older model is that if I lay a strait edge under the "keen" font, the letters "Kutter" progressively move upwards like the banner logo in figure #2. It would help if I could see some remnants of the banner around the name but it is so faint that most letter don't even show up. I will look at it more.

Thank you

-Mark jr.

 

[Agent_H]

Thanks for those pics. I haven't seen those versions of the logo before. What has got me leaning towards the older model is that if I lay a strait edge under the "keen" font, the letters "Kutter" progressively move upwards like the banner logo in figure #2. It would help if I could see some remnants of the banner around the name but it is so faint that most letter don't even show up. I will look at it more.

Thank you

-Mark jr.

You totally could be right Mark! - I don't know anything more about Keen Kutter axes other than looking up stuff about the ones I have picked up. For example, a couple of the banner stamps that Steve posted - I wasn't even aware of.

I just kind of recognized the "should I use it or hang on to it?" question as one I've asked myself.

There are tools/axes here that I really have no business owning other than they are interesting for one reason or another.

 

[rjdankert]

. . . What has got me leaning towards the older model is that if I lay a strait edge under the "keen" font, the letters "Kutter" progressively move upwards like the banner logo in figure #2. It would help if I could see some remnants of the banner around the name but it is so faint that most letter don't even show up. I will look at it more.
. . .

FWIW, here is a chisel (not mine) with the "curved lettering":

You can judge for yourself, but the lettering looks pretty crisp and I cannot detect any remnants of a banner.

Bob

 

[BlackDuk98]

Well I guess that I will never know 100% on the age. I studied the logo even more and it appears that only the letter "u" is up higher than the rest, unfortunately the rest of the letters are gone.

I am thinking that it may be from the '30s like Agent-H mentioned since the letter are almost strait. Probly a cheaper model but I would think that their stamp would be perfect, I cannot see that they are individual letter stamps. But it makes more sense that it is newer since the guy was in his 90s and probly got it used. So since I am feeling that it is newer, I am going to get a new handle and get this axe back in action.

Just need to find a good handle (tractor supply may have it locally). Would like to get it to be the same color as the current one so that it still looks it's age.

Thank you for all of your help,

-Mark jr.