Keen Kutter® is an American privately-owned

trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from othe ...

of premium hardware, cutlery and outfitter goods for outdoor enthusiasts. The company, based in

Hoffman Estates, Illinois Hoffman Estates is a village in Illinois, United States. The village is located primarily in Cook County, with a small section in Kane County. It is a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 52,530. The village now serves a ...

, designs, distributes and sells its products via company-owned catalogs and the ''Keen Kutter'
website
as well as through authorized dealers in the United States. The

is owned by Val-Test® Group President, Russell Meeks who also own
Diamond Edge®

History

Edward Campbell Simmons (E.C. Simmons) completed the first prototype to satisfaction in 1867. Without any premeditation, he wrote in pencil on the fresh pine wooden axe: ''Keen Kutter.'' At first, ''Keen Kutter'' referred to a particular kind of axe whose ultra-thin blade worked best on soft woods. By 1880, the

Simmons Hardware Company The Simmons Hardware Company was a hardware manufacturer based in St. Louis with locations in six states. Staff The founder of the company was Edward C. Simmons, who started the company in 1874 and retired in 1898. The founder's son, George W ...

applied the name to all of the company’s top-of-the-line cutting tools including axes, hatchets, saws, knives, scythes, adzes, bill hooks, shears, scissors, files, stones & razors. By 1900, the ''Keen Kutter'' catalogue included every conceivable type of tool & hardware item needed by carpenters, mechanics, gardeners, farmers & handymen of any discipline. Merging with the Shapleigh Hardware Company in 1940, the ''Keen Kutter'' catalog achieved remarkable success through innovative campaigns designed to simplify the job of the retailer & satisfy the customer. The Shapleigh Hardware Company became one of the most extensive corporations of its kind with divisions in Wichita, Sioux City, Ogden, Toledo, New York, Minneapolis & St. Louis. By the turn of the century, the ''Keen Kutter'' warehouse space occupied over 1.5 million square feet & its pocket-knife plant in New York was the largest in the United States. Today, the ''Keen Kutter'' trademark is owned by the Val-Test® Hardware Group of Illinois. After Val-Test® acquired the trademark, limited use authorization was developed for a premiere line of ''Keen Kutter'' pocket-knives manufactured by

Schrade Cutlery Imperial Schrade Corp. was an American knife manufacturer of hunting knives, pocketknives, utility knives, and bayonets during the 20th and early 21st centuries. The consolidation of five forerunner companies, including its namesakes, the Imperi ...

, Frost Cutlery and most recently Bear & Son Cutlery Co. to remain committed to the finest quality made in the United States.

Collectible Interest

Items bearing the ''Keen Kutter'' trademark are considered highly collectible. Jerry and Elaine Heuring, authors of
Collector's Guide To Keen Kutter
', have thousands of items from their private collection, identified and described in detail and evaluated from axes, braces, and bits, to calendars, pocket knives, razors, rules etc., all in alphabetical order for quick identification. Their special section dedicated to tool reproductions and fakes will certainly protect the collector from making bad purchases. In addition to the standard line of tools and utensils, there are hundreds of colorful, whimsical store displays, advertisements, and other unusual items all made by Keen Kutter considered highly collectible. ''The Hardware Companies Kollector's Klub'' founded in 1995 is another great source of information for Keen Kutter collectors.The Hardware Companies Kollector's Klub
retrieved 4 August 2013

References

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History

Collectible Interest

References

Related links