Keen Kutter Planes and what I know about them.

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The Simmons Hardware Company was a hardware manufacturer based in St. Louis with locations in six states. They sold Keen Kutter planes and other Keen Kutter tools from 1874 until 1940 when Shapleigh Hardware Co bought them out.

The “K” series are rebranded Stanley Bedrocks (made by Stanley). (1913 and later) (check for info here —>)
The “K” series included Stanley made transitionals
The “KK” series are Bailey style made by Ohio Tools (Earliest)
The “KK” series also included Ohio Tools Made Transitionals

According to “Keen Kutter Planes: The Simmons Hardware Company, by Alvin Sellen” Several bench planes with the Keen Kutter wedge and bar logo on the lever cap are shown in the Shapleigh catalogs of the early 1950s and later. The earliest available reference to a plane in this series in dated 1950. The lever cap logo on these planes have the words Keen Kutter only and have a red background. The lever caps and brass adjusting nuts are nickel plated. The knobs and handles are made of hardwood with a mahogany finish. The knobs are tall. The double cutters are incised with the wedge and bar logo. The words E. C. Simmons are included within the outline of the cutter logo on the early variety of planes of this type. The base castings are painted black. The frogs are painted black on early planes and red on later models.
The plane numbers are for ordering and stocking purposes and do not appear on the hardware. This series of planes was made for Shapleigh by Sargent and Company. The following planes were listed:
KKM3 Smooth Plane $60 – $90 Offered: 1950 thru 1958 Length: 8 inches Width of Cutter: 1 3/4 inches
KKM4 Smooth Plane $40 – $65 Offered: 1950 and later Length: 10 inches 1950 thru 1956, 9 inches 1957 and Later. Width of Cutter: 2 inches.

The Simmons Hardware Co. offered Keen Kutter wooden bench planes from 1895 thru 1929. Standard sizes of smoother, jack, fore, and jointer planes were included. These planes all had front knobs.

the Simmons Hardware Company came out with their line of “KK” branded planes in their 1906 brochure (No. 523). It’s believed that these planes were manufactured by the Ohio Tool Company. The cutters on these planes were incised with the wedge & bar logo, with St. Louis U.S.A. inside the logo.

The early KK’s had thick, tapered cutters, which help set them apart from other makers. They were also hand sharpened and whetted on an oilstone before being placed in their boxes. The bodies of the KK’s were mainly finished in black enamel, with a few exceptions.

In 1913, the Simmons brochure No. 1548 listed a new line of metal and wood bottom (transitional) planes which only had the single “K” in front of the plane number. The new planes had the model numbers cast into the bed as is the common practice. It’s these “new” planes which were manufactured by Stanley Rule & Level for Simmons.

Bob Kaune – (Antique & Used Tools) Bedrock type study https://www.antique-used-tools.com/brtypes.htm states

“During the 1920’s, Stanley manufactured Type 4 Bed Rock Planes, for Keen Kutter and Winchester. The planes were identical to the original Stanleys, except for the markings on the beds, (W.., K..), Keen Kutter and Winchester trademarks on the blades and frogs with twisted lateral levers. Keen Kutter Bed Rocks had plain lever caps and Winchester Bed Rocks had Winchester marked lever caps.”

The semi circular saw tooth logo was only used on wooden planes (manufactured by Ohio Tools for Simmons from 1899 to 1905)

Logo Used on the Keen Kutter K series of Planes

Earlier Keen Kutter KK series Logo

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The Hardware Companies Kollectors Klub (THCKK) THCKK is an organization with a mission to educate our members and the general public about the about the history and functions of the great hardware companies, including Simmons Hardware, Shapleigh Hardware, Belknap Hardware, Witte Hardware, Winchester-Simmons Hardware, and others. We want to improve the ability of our members to add to their collections by meeting on a yearly basis and sharing both their knowledge and their collections.

THCKK is on Facebook as well

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ChipAway line was a lower priced planes and were made for them by Sargent.

Oak Leaf was also a secondary line.

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