Rare Kennedy toolbox Identification

[JoeBrown77]

I need help identifying a Kennedy toolbox I came across. It's a 7 drawer toolbox looks like a 520 series but what makes it stick out is that it has brass handles on all of the drawers and an old 3 digit seasmee combination lock on it. After 3 days of scouring the internet I have not seen a single photo of a Kennedy toolbox with this type of lock on it. Can anyone give me a rough year they might have made the Kennedy toolboxes with that type of lock and brass drawer handles? And it also has the old school drawer guides where the locking clip is inside the runner and you have to fabricate a tool to slide down in-between the drawer and the runner to get to. I'm thinking a limited edition maybe 30's or 40s but I'm not sure. It has the classic kennedy signature inside the lid but no model number stamp.

 

[M.B. Naegle]

Almost sounds custom. Are you sure the lock and handles weren't replaced? Locks and handles tend to be replaced a lot due to the plastic handles breaking and keys being lost.

 

[4GSR]

Can you post pictures of your toolbox?
I have a older Kennedy tool chest that was my dad's early owned box before buying a newer Kennedy tool chest. Later replacing it with a Gerstner tool chest. Most of the earlier ones had a leather type of handle mounted on top of the chest. I've also seen later ones with handles on the sides. Don't recall seeing one with a combination lock. I'm not an expert at identifying the different Kenney tool chests sold over the years. Just going by what I've seen over the years that fellow machinists have owned.
Ken

 

[L Vanice]

Kennedy has been in Van Wert, OH over 100 years, only 30 miles from my home. I have not been to the Kennedy factory retail store for years, but they used to have a large display of old products in the store. The people running the store were always very nice and helpful, so I expect you would get an answer if you wrote to the factory with your questions.

Kennedy Manufacturing - TOOL BOXES / CHESTS & CABINETS / SHOP STORAGE / CNC

Industry leading manufacturer of tool storage equipment including steel tool chests, modular and roller storage cabinets, stationary and mobile workbenches

buykennedy.com

History - Kennedy Manufacturing

buykennedy.com

Larry

 

[JoeBrown77]

Can you post pictures of your toolbox?
I have a older Kennedy tool chest that was my dad's early owned box before buying a newer Kennedy tool chest. Later replacing it with a Gerstner tool chest. Most of the earlier ones had a leather type of handle mounted on top of the chest. I've also seen later ones with handles on the sides. Don't recall seeing one with a combination lock. I'm not an expert at identifying the different Kenney tool chests sold over the years. Just going by what I've seen over the years that fellow machinists have owned.
Ken

This one did have a leather handle but it had worn off and was replaced with duct tape at some point but still had the orginal paper coiled around the strip of spring steel in the core of the handle. When It came to me it was pretty beat up rust was starting to get to it and a prior owner had did a rattle can number on it over the original paint the brass drawer handles combination lock and latches pretty much everything. They felt a lovely shade of flakey dull red was a better look for it so sadly it will never be that original Kennedy brown again. I had to take it completely apart and sand it down completely and repaint it. I went with a glossy black enamel on the main box and candy apple red for the cover panel and drawers. Put in new felt and leather on the handle. Then flipped a coin on which number to start at on the combo lock only 999 possible combinations and ended up starting at 999 which turned out to be the better end to start at beings that it ended up being 654. All thats left to do is polish the brass and shes good to go. I have to format the pictures apparently. Try he uh

Almost sounds custom. Are you sure the lock and handles weren't replaced? Locks and handles tend to be replaced a lot due to the plastic handles breaking and keys being lost.

I can say with a fair amount of certainty that this is the original lock that came with the box. I am going to post some pictures as soon as I can make them a smaller file size so they can be posted here.

 

[JoeBrown77]

Can you post pictures of your toolbox?
I have a older Kennedy tool chest that was my dad's early owned box before buying a newer Kennedy tool chest. Later replacing it with a Gerstner tool chest. Most of the earlier ones had a leather type of handle mounted on top of the chest. I've also seen later ones with handles on the sides. Don't recall seeing one with a combination lock. I'm not an expert at identifying the different Kenney tool chests sold over the years. Just going by what I've seen over the years that fellow machinists have owned.
Ken

This one did have a leather handle but it had worn off and was replaced with duct tape at some point but still had the orginal paper coiled around the strip of spring steel in the core of the handle. When It came to me it was pretty beat up rust was starting to get to it and a prior owner had did a rattle can number on it over the original paint the brass drawer handles combination lock and latches pretty much everything. They felt a lovely shade of flakey dull red was a better look for it so sadly it will never be that original Kennedy brown again. I had to take it completely apart and sand it down completely and repaint it. I went with a glossy black enamel on the main box and candy apple red for the cover panel and drawers. Put in new felt and leather on the handle. Then flipped a coin on which number to start at on the combo lock only 999 possible combinations and ended up starting at 999 which turned out to be the better end to start at beings that it ended up being 654. All thats left to do is polish the brass and shes good to go. I have to format the pictures apparently. Try he uh

Almost sounds custom. Are you sure the lock and handles weren't replaced? Locks and handles tend to be replaced a lot due to the plastic handles breaking and keys being lost.

I can say with a fair amount of certainty that this is the original lock that came with the box. I am going to post some pictures as soon as I can make them a smaller file size so they can be posted here.

 

[JoeBrown77]

This one did have a leather handle but it had worn off and was replaced with duct tape at some point but still had the orginal paper coiled around the strip of spring steel in the core of the handle. When It came to me it was pretty beat up rust was starting to get to it and a prior owner had did a rattle can number on it over the original paint the brass drawer handles combination lock and latches pretty much everything. They felt a lovely shade of flakey dull red was a better look for it so sadly it will never be that original Kennedy brown again. I had to take it completely apart and sand it down completely and repaint it. I went with a glossy black enamel on the main box and candy apple red for the cover panel and drawers. Put in new felt and leather on the handle. Then flipped a coin on which number to start at on the combo lock only 999 possible combinations and ended up starting at 999 which turned out to be the better end to start at beings that it ended up being 654. All thats left to do is polish the brass and shes good to go. I have to format the pictures apparently. Try he uh

I can say with a fair amount of certainty that this is the original lock that came with the box. I am going to post some pictures as soon as I can make them a smaller file size so they can be posted here.

Well it seems I am having trouble uploading any pictures. I resized them 3 times to 1/5th the original file size and they are still to large but I will keep trying.

 

[JoeBrown77]

 

[4GSR]

Nice restoration job you did there. Can't say if I ever seen one with the combination lock. Very unique. As others have said, get with Kennedy with your pictures and they should be able to shed some light on this model chest. Ken

 

[JoeBrown77]

Nice restoration job you did there. Can't say if I ever seen one with the combination lock. Very unique. As others have said, get with Kennedy with your pictures and they should be able to shed some light on this model chest. Ken

Thank you, and that sounds like my only option there.

 

[JoeBrown77]

Kennedy has been in Van Wert, OH over 100 years, only 30 miles from my home. I have not been to the Kennedy factory retail store for years, but they used to have a large display of old products in the store. The people running the store were always very nice and helpful, so I expect you would get an answer if you wrote to the factory with your questions.

Kennedy Manufacturing - TOOL BOXES / CHESTS & CABINETS / SHOP STORAGE / CNC

Industry leading manufacturer of tool storage equipment including steel tool chests, modular and roller storage cabinets, stationary and mobile workbenches

buykennedy.com

History - Kennedy Manufacturing

buykennedy.com

Larry

Thank you Larry I will do that.