Anyone know when Keen Kutter sold plastic handle screwdrivers ? My book only shows wooden handles. The phillips has stamped pat numbers 2046840 and 2507231 which dates it after the early 1930's Don't really collect keen kutter but these two were in a little homemade tool caddy I got yesterday. Had a Mossberg F-1 and three Indestro dbe's in it plus one IHC 1326E, Acouple of small hammers and a few other screwdrivers. Think it will be a neat little carrier.
Also saturday at auction saw a Keen Kutter gas powered rotary mower. I really thought Keen Kutter was defunct before gas powered rotary mowers were around. Didn't have camera with me and didn't examine it closely as I wasn't going to bid on it. Suppose someone could have put a big old KK decal on any mower but it looked original.
Well I was wrong. Found plastic handled screwdrivers in KK cat on Rose Antique site. Had brown and blue but sure red was available.
Also had gas powered rorary mowers listed. 19 inch cut with B&S engine for $60.95. Keen Kutter lasted longer than I thought.
Simmons Hardware Co. and the Keenkutter brand were acquired by Shapleigh Hardware (Diamond Edge brand) in 1941 or 1942.
Shapleigh went out of business around 1960 and the KeenKutter brand ended up with Val-Test. During the 1970's and 80's a local hardware jobber's catalog showed KeenKutter brand knifes, power mowers, gas cans, propane bottles, etc. This seemed to end in the early 1990's abd I don't think they own the brand anymore. I think Imperial acquired the Diamond-Edge brand for a line of pocket knifes and nother company (Frost?) still uses the KeenKutter name on knifes. I am writing this from memory and the dates may be off a few years.
The Simmons's KeenKutter logos are usually marked Simmons Hdw. Co., the Shapleigh KeenKutter logos are marked Shapleigh Hdw. Co. and the Val-Test KeenKutter logo is plain with no company markings.