What "Traditional Knife" are ya totin' today?

[Hoffmajo89]

A very nice find !

The earlier tang stamps had St. Louis stamped below Keen Kutter. Being an E.C. Simmons dates it to pre 1940. The hammered pins likely dates it to pre early 1930's. There use to be a member here that had some old Keen Kutter catalogs ........... I can't dig it up in my head as to who it was. I highly doubt that you will be able to date it much narrower. Most of those old knife companies didn't change the tang stamp all that often, so you need to just be satisfied with a general range. W.R. Case and son is an exception that.

Thank you for the info! That seems to line up with something I found doing some research (google searching haha) last night. I found an ad for this pattern in a pdf of an old newspaper. At the bottom left there’s a picture of a knife that looks similar and it seems to say “No. N3681T Price $1 Pocket Knife 3 Blades” just above it. The date on the paper is from 1915. So maybe that means somewhere around that year?

 

[Primble]

Two Case XX's from the 1970's went in my pockets this morning.
I only carried the wooden sodbuster a few times ...... so showing it a little love today.
plus I like Daniel Boone's picture and that little red cardinal ( our state bird ) walking down the blade.

 

[Primble]

The date on the paper is from 1915. So maybe that means somewhere around that year?

It could ..... but they may have also made the same model in 1905 or 1925, etc.
Any way that you look at it, it is likely knocking the side out of being a hundred years old.

 

[black mamba]

Gator and Big Red

 

[Ellis Wyatt]

 

[JonMcD]

Trapperday

 

[321Bandaid]

 

[Amir Fleschwund]

This old whittler has been sitting on my dresser ever since Jakeywax31 gave it to me at the knife show in March. Words don’t quite cut it Paul, but thank you.

I am not usually one of those “this came in the mail today, so straight in the pocket” kind of guys. This one’s been sitting on top of my dresser getting picked up and inspected every day. Ok, lovingly fondled.
Time to carry it.
Beginning of a love affair…

 

[JW225]

Some Buckeye Burl today...

 

[ZHoovie]

Some Buckeye Burl today...

Gorgeous 112 Jim!

 

[Modoc ED]

Headed to town later this morning for the usual errands. This Buck Dymondwood 501 Squire today. No breakfast - chow in town.

 

[5K Qs]

Stag/Horn Knife of the Week is a buffalo horn GEC #85, one of my favorite classic patterns (thanks, Paul):


Work Knife of the Week is a Böker USA (maybe it doesn't need an umlaut?) electrician (thanks, Mark):


- GT

 

[ZHoovie]

The Schrade doesn't seem to want to leave my pocket lately! It's been a main carry or riding shotgun with an additional knife
I got the GEC from a fellow porch member. The #56 isn't going to be a carry for me, it's going to my brother in law. I got it as a gift for him for becoming a part of our family & to say thanks for him being there for us, he's a great guy & I'm proud for him to be officially apart of our family.
He's a Clemson guy (graduated from there) & a hell of a guitar player so the orange & guitar shield is perfect!



P.S. Thanks again euroken !

 

[pat9198]

This 48 went right into the pocket when I got it yesterday and it's still there today. It's a great knife, just a little longer than a Case mini trapper but with a pen blade instead of the spey. The 47 seemed like a good companion.

 

[JW225]

Gorgeous 112 Jim!

Many thanks, Zach! BTW -- great choice for your brother-in-law!

 

[sf fanatic]

Low clouds and fog to start the day here in the City by the Bay! Nothing major on the agenda for today. Keeping me company the usual lamb and Lil Ike. Have a great day folks!
View attachment 2557217View attachment 2557218

 

[JonMcD]

The Schrade doesn't seem to want to leave my pocket lately! It's been a main carry or riding shotgun with an additional knife
I got the GEC from a fellow porch member. The #56 isn't going to be a carry for me, it's going to my brother in law. I got it as a gift for him for becoming a part of our family & to say thanks for him being there for us, he's a great guy & I'm proud for him to be officially apart of our family.
He's a Clemson guy (graduated from there) & a hell of a guitar player so the orange & guitar shield is perfect!

View attachment 2557187

P.S. Thanks again euroken !

Sounds like my kinda guy!!! We would get along just fine.

Yes and amen to Clemson grad guitar players!!!

 

[danno50]

This one is brand new to me, and I’ve been admiring it since getting home from work today. Love the tiny little tip bolsters. Makes the knife feel just a bit classy.

Very fine construction all around and an excellently executed splitback (just look at how nicely that wedge tapers).

I must admit though, I don’t know much about Keen Kutter. I just had to have it when I saw it and have not done much research into it. I’m not really finding much about the maker and I’m a bit stumped as to the age and origin of this one.

REQUESTING ANY HELP IN DATING THIS ONE

I know this may not be the right place but I appreciate any help here or someone pointing me in the right direction.

Here’s the tang stamp on the main blade. Notice the “horns” at the top of the wedge. The stamp reads “E.C. SIMMONS / KEEN / KUTTER” and I’m not able to see if there is anything lower on the stamp as it’s covered by the body of the knife in all positions. I can’t really place this specific stamp.

And both smaller blades have a scaled down version of the same stamp on them. Again, note the very small “horns” at the top of the wedge.

Super appreciative of any information anyone may have. My best guess based on the look and construction of the knife is early 1900s, but I’d like to try to get a date range or even narrow it down further?

Editing to add: the back of the main blade has the number 3681T stamped on it.

Alvin Sellens produced a guide to "Keen Kutter Pocket Knives". He went through to every catalog that Keen Kutter ever put out and he summarized them in his book. According to Sellens your knife was in the catalogs from 1905 (the first use of the bar and wedge stamp) up to 1934. The horns at the top of the wedge are usuallly considered to be an indication that the knife was made by Camillus. I don't think that Camillus started making Keen Kutters until after 1927, so I would place your knife as made sometime between 1927 or so and 1934, probably in the 1930s, as Primble suggested.

Here it is in a 1930 catalog reprint.

 

[Ed G]

keep rediscovering how much I like both these little guys ...

 

[Bloefield]