Chelsea File Works

Chelsea File Works of Norwich, Connecticut used the brand name Chelsea.

Photo courtesy of a reader, Alan

International Tool Catalog Library

Catalogs with files and rasps from the US, Canada, and a few European countries are now in the International Tool Catalog Library on the Internet Archive. The dates are from 1823 to 1972.

Warrensville Swiss Pattern Files

Warrensville File & Knife, Inc., is a dealer and has possibly been a manufacturer of Swiss pattern files and rasps.

Warrensville began over 35 years ago in Warrensville, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb. I have scanned an older Warrensville catalog, and at that time they were located at 26309 Miles Rd., Cleveland, OH.

They are now located at 5555 Oakbrook Parkway, Norcross, Georgia.

Catalogs Now on Archive.org

Most of the catalogs I have scanned are now on Archive.org. There are 62-plus with the key words "files and rasps" and more are coming, including some rare items. Most catalogs are American, with a few English and French tool makers also. There are 16 Nicholson File Co. catalogs, including their complete hand saw line and industrial hammers.

Keen Kutter Files by Simmons and Shapleigh Hardware Companies

Shapleigh's Keen Kutter file box

Keen Kutter was the leading brand name of E.C. Simmons Hardware of St. Louis, Missouri. In 1940 Shapleigh Hardware, also of St. Louis, took over Simmons and continued the Keen Kutter brand name. We do not know which American file maker produced Keen Kutter files, but all Keen Kutter items and their boxes are very collectible. Earlier Keen Kutter files came in wood boxes with sliding lids, and later ones in conventional cardboard boxes.

The files section from Simmons Keen Kutter Catalog No. 776 is listed in American File Manufacturer Catalogs.

Woodworkers Review 1909

Photo by Gary S.

E.C. Simmons Keen Kutter file box

Early Simmons Keen Kutter wooden file box label 

McClellan File Co. of Saginaw MI

McClellan file, photo by Gary S. 

McClellan File Co. of Saginaw, Michigan is best known as a secondary brand of Nicholson File Co., which bought McClellan in 1897-1898 during a wave of consolidation in the American file industry.

Little is known so far about the history of this company before 1898. In 1883 it was operating as Michigan Saw & File Works, with William McClellan as vice president and John J. McClellan as foreman. By 1889, the business was named McClellan File Co., located at 133 S. Water St., Saginaw, with principals William McClellan and Andrew Johnson.

Modern Machinery, Vol 3-4, 1898

Automotive Files

I have just posted Heller's 1965 Automotive Files and Tools, which includes the Vixen body and reveal files and 9 different file holders, along with ignition files. It also includes price lists from 1970 and 1971. 

Heller reveal tools & files, 1965