KEEN KUTTER

[Pappy]

Picked this beauty up on Memorial Day...just been too busy getting ready for the Little Blue River Bike Swap & Art Fest here in Kansas City (6/9/2012).I think this may be a Murray built...but not sure...any help? I know Keen Kutter made meat grinders & lawn mowers but didn't know they marketed bikes.Got it at the antique store I work for,Weird Stuff Antiques (weirdstuffantiques.com)...

Wheels are roached,too bad about the right grip and seat...I really like the tanks,truss rods & generally the whole flow of the bike...should be fun...P 8)

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Awesome patina! Looks like the fork is tweeked. Or is it just the angle of the picture?

 

[ratina]

Looks Snyder built to me, nice score!

 

[Xcruiser]

Im a knife freak and have had many ,many,many Shapleigh Hardware and Keen Kutter knives turns out a few Hardware stores famous for knives and tools etc. sold bikes (and I dont mean the big chains we see on old bikes all the time).
Belknap Hardware is another famous old timey outfit famous for house branded tools and knives,I recently came across and purchased a Belknap Bluegrass bike,it really shocked me.
I would jump on a bed of nails for a Keen Kutter bike,great find.

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

yup, looks like a case of BFD, but it's a cool bike. looking forward to seeing what you do with it.

 

[Road Master]

I've got a Belknap on it's way here. It's a 30s era bike that looks pretty much complete. Didn't know what Belknap was till I read this thread. Still has a lot of original paint but I don't really know the real condition - but the price was very right! Robert

 

[Gold Street Customs]

That's a real KEEN find.... :roll: :roll: :mrgreen:

 

[Xcruiser]

I've got a Belknap on it's way here. It's a 30s era bike that looks pretty much complete. Didn't know what Belknap was till I read this thread. Still has a lot of original paint but I don't really know the real condition - but the price was very right! Robert

William Belknap--started a hardware store chain in 1840,started out with typical iron works(horseshoes,hand tools) in Kentucky.Later branched out into knives and more tools which are highly sought after.Bluegrass was normally associated with pocket knives,other famous brands are John Primble India Steel Works,Knap,John Primble Belknap,LF&C (landers frary & clark)etc etc.The company went out of business in 1968.

Basically the same story as Shapleigh Hardware/Keen Kutter.

My Belknap Bluegrass is a late 50's to early 60's in super shape and one of the nicest sets of white rims with a red stripe I have ever seen.

 

[tnt1]

I have a reel type lawnmower made by belknap

 

[pick]

Pappy, you guys have the coolest stuff up there. You, Marty & Jon always find awesome stuff. What's the secret?

 

[B607]

My hardware store bike is a '41 Schwinn DX with a Witte Flyer badge. Witte was a hardware store out of St.Louis that was in business until the late 50's or early 60's I believe. There was a Witte store in the town where I found this bike. Gary

 

[Xcruiser]

My hardware store bike is a '41 Schwinn DX with a Witte Flyer badge. Witte was a hardware store out of St.Louis that was in business until the late 50's or early 60's I believe. There was a Witte store in the town where I found this bike. Gary

Another cool one.The Witte brand still survives under Witte Industries Germany,I bought some Witte screwdrivers packaged in matco trim off the Matco tool truck.
Id love to see this whole bike.Im getting a kick out of this thread.

 

[B607]

Ask and ye shall receive. Red band kickback with skiptooth setup. Why don't you drive over here and I'll sell it to you. 8) Gary

 

[dos cruiser]

Pappy, I have KEEN KUTTER out in the garage. I took it down to Wichita a few years back, If you want to sell it Larry in Wichita will buy it if the price is right. I want to get mine ridable again.

 

[Pappy]

Pappy, I have KEEN KUTTER out in the garage. I took it down to Wichita a few years back, If you want to sell it Larry in Wichita will buy it if the price is right. I want to get mine ridable again.

Yeah Don...I'm not real "keen" (pun intended) on selling mine either...at least not for now.Besides,I'd give anybody in our group here in K.C. a shot at it first.I'm a think'in along your line...I'd like to get to ride it first even if I were to try to sell it.Hey...THANX to everyone else for your info,stories & comments...P 8)