Rare Bird -- Keen Kutter Chainsaw

[Old Mac Guy]

First... Darrin and Jennifer, and the manglement crew here, Thanks.
It's my 64th.

I'll let the other guys (and a few gals) chase the Lightenings and Homelie Stick Shifts and BLK's... heck, there are dozens if not hundreds if not thousands of those chainsaws floatin' around out there... In my book, rarity is the first point to value and desireability of a collectible... And it adds more value if the rare bird is from a maker whose chainsaws I'm keenly interested in... (pardon the pun)... like ROOT!!

Yesterday, I bought myself a Root Keen Kutter.

Most of you know about Keen Kutter tools... EC Simmons Hardware of St. Louis started the brand in 1866 and trademarked the name and logo back in 1870... and the slogan: "The Recollection of Quality Remains, Long After the Price is Forgotten." Simmons produced dozens of kinds of hand tools, including saws, axes, hatchets, and other forestry-related tools, under that trademark from 1866-1940. Then Shapleigh Hardware, also of St. Louis, bought it all from Simmons and continued use of the Keen Kutter line from 1940 until the 1990's...

Now the Root Manufacturing Company of Baxter Springs, Kansas is another old American company who manufactured all kinds of stuff from cast-iron corn-stick pans to lawnmowers and etcetera, including chainsaws from about 1954 until about 1972, The Root saws by themselves are rather uncommon to find nowadays, and some sell for rather proud prices, just because it's a ROOT!

This Root-made chainsaw I just bought has the the distinctive Keen Kutter name cast into the metal of the top. Shapleigh and Root must have made some kind of agreement about making a Keen Kutter chainsaw... and with the distinctive KK brand logo...

Now, I ain't claimin' this is the only one of these left in the world today...
But I haven't learned of anyone else who has one... and this baby will do for the rarest saw in my 270-some chainsaw collection until somebody comes along and says "I've got several or 'em!"
... and shows photos.

Anyone else got one?? Or know where another one is??

"Oh, Happy Day" to all the gang here...
Old Mac Guy (loves Roots!)

 

[Urbicide]

Congratulations on your find. You can send photos of your saw to Mike Acres to illustrate the model and you will be given credit for taking them.

 

[Mike Van]

Nice old saw!

 

[blackoak]

I thought I have seen about everything Keen Kutter, but this is the first chainsaw. I have seen lawn mowers, tillers and alot of their hand tools. I at one time had over 200 KK items including a shotgun. I sold most of my collection of axes, hatchets on Ebay. My first pocket knife was a KK that Gramps gave me. KK tools are very collectible and bring good money. Alot of KK tool were contraced out to be made by other companies.This is the first chainsaw and I learned something today because I sure have never seen a KK chainsaw. Nice find.

 

[mountainlake]

Can't even find it on Mike Acres site, there's a Whiz on there that looks like it. Steve

 

[mattinky]

Very cool!

 

[ENN]

how old is that saw?

 

[Old Mac Guy]

Thanks, all.
Mike's site is a great asset to the internet chainsaw community. But there are several areas in the site which need work... more models information, photos, specs...
I've talked with him several times by email, but he's a pretty busy guy and often takes a while to respond...
Based on the 11 models of Root saws I have, I'd say this one was probably made around 1958-1962... after Mickey Mantle played one year for the Baxter Springs Whizzes and went on to the Yankees. Right now, there's no exact way to know until more detailed data on Root is found. I've been researching the company for a couple years now and have quite a bit of info on them and their products. But, like Blackoak said, I thought I knew a little bit about most of the Keen Kutter tools... but never knew about the chainsaw, until now.

Surely there's another one out there somewhere... maybe in someone's grandpa's tool shed in the Ozarks... or tucked away in the loft of a barn in northwestern Illinois, a few miles from the Mississippi... hidden behind a bunch of BP-1's, HL StickShifts and 12-25A's... :greenchainsaw:

 

[blackoak]

Thanks, all.
Mike's site is a great asset to the internet chainsaw community. But there are several areas in the site which need work... more models information, photos, specs...
I've talked with him several times by email, but he's a pretty busy guy and often takes a while to respond...
Based on the 11 models of Root saws I have, I'd say this one was probably made around 1958-1962... after Mickey Mantle played one year for the Baxter Springs Whizzes and went on to the Yankees. Right now, there's no exact way to know until more detailed data on Root is found. I've been researching the company for a couple years now and have quite a bit of info on them and their products. But, like Blackoak said, I thought I knew a little bit about most of the Keen Kutter tools... but never knew about the chainsaw, until now.

Surely there's another one out there somewhere... maybe in someone's grandpa's tool shed in the Ozarks... or tucked away in the loft of a barn in northwestern Illinois, a few miles from the Mississippi... hidden behind a bunch of BP-1's, HL StickShifts and 12-25A's... :greenchainsaw:

I have seen several Keen Kutter original catalogs that are several inches thick that show case their products form the early 1900's up to when they went out of business and have never seen a chainsaw in any of them. Although the saw was made by Root for KK you have yourself a rare saw there I'm guessing. I would be willing to bet that it would bring a very high amount on Ebay as there are KK collectors out there that pay huge amounts for rare KK products. I watch KK very close on Ebay and in the 6 years since I have had a computer, I have never seen a chainsaw listed on there. Does the saw you have run?

 

[Bill G]

............... I would be willing to bet that it would bring a very high amount on Ebay as there are KK collectors out there that pay huge amounts for rare KK products. I watch KK very close on Ebay and in the 6 years since I have had a computer, I have never seen a chainsaw listed on there. Does the saw you have run?

Blackoak,

I think overlooked one just a few days back.

Bill

 

[Bill G]

................................

Surely there's another one out there somewhere... maybe in someone's grandpa's tool shed in the Ozarks... or tucked away in the loft of a barn in northwestern Illinois, a few miles from the Mississippi... hidden behind a bunch of BP-1's, HL StickShifts and 12-25A's... :greenchainsaw:

Ken,

Ya just never know what be in the barns

Bill

 

[BIGBORE577]

I think that saw is fantastic. I like that vintage of saws, firearms, cars and a lot of other things. Congratulations on your excellent find!

 

[blackoak]

Blackoak,

I think overlooked one just a few days back.

Bill

Well I'll be damned. I did a completed listing search and now I can't say I have seen a Keen Kutter saw on Ebay. And one so recent to boot. I have it set that when a new Keen Kutter product is listed I get an email from Ebay notifying me. I must have missed that Email. I really thought it would have brought more that 294.00$, but still not bad for an old relic. I want one now BAD!!!

 

[pbtree]

Cool find!

 

[Old Mac Guy]

:hmm3grin2orange:

I think it was kind of a sleeper... I almost went past it thinking it was some kind of Taiwanese "huflungdung", like McBob says... then something rang a dim bell, so I looked at it... expected to see a bottleneck at the ending, but I guess a lot of people were still unpacking from Baraboo and loadin' up their pix and videos... watching other listings... some other Root collectors told me they never saw it. One, maybe two, other bidders spotted it.
Blackoak, as far as condition, all I know right now is it ain't froze-up, AH-58 engine, looks complete. I'll have it here in a few days.

I'm sure there's another one or two out there somewhere... gotta be. Just a matter of getting people to hunt for 'em...

 

[ng1415]

keen kutter chainsaw

I have recently came across a Keen Kutter Chainsaw, This forum is the only thing I can Find them talked about. Can anyone give me some information on this item?

 

[longbar]

Apparently its rare! So buy it!

 

[promac850]

Apparently its rare! So buy it!

:agree2: Go get that saw!! It's gotta be one of the rarest saws out there.

 

[Chris J.]

I have recently came across a Keen Kutter Chainsaw, This forum is the only thing I can Find them talked about. Can anyone give me some information on this item?

Welcome to ArboristSite!

By all means buy that Keen Kutter chainsaw. Then come back here and post a lot of photos!

 

[promac850]

Welcome to ArboristSite!

By all means buy that Keen Kutter chainsaw. Then come back here and post a lot of photos!

:agree2: WE WANT PICS!!!