Keen Kutter tools

About Keen Kutter

Keen Kutter was the tool trademark of Simmons Hardware Company of St. Louis, Missouri, later carried on by Shapleigh Hardware; the tools were made to order by outside manufacturers and branded for the line. The recorded sales cover the core of that catalog: bench planes, backsaws and handsaws, chisels and slicks, and axes and hatchets, with the plane work done by Stanley. Value follows the model and the marking, so the K-series planes that correspond to Stanley Bedrock and low-number bench patterns, crisp embossed axe heads with original paint, and clean etches on saw plates all carry weight. Heavy pitting, replaced or cracked handles, and worn-off logos pull an example down, as does a thin blade on a slick or chisel.