Working as a manufacturer’s rep, M. Kenneth Morse faced mounting frustration when the products he sold were continuously plagued with backorders and slow delivery. To align his standards with what he was selling to customers, The M. K. Morse Company was born in 1963 in Canton, Ohio, USA.
M. K. himself began manufacturing saw blades – all proudly made in the USA with global materials – to ensure his customers got the quality and fast delivery times the industry had been lacking. These priorities remain tenants of the business today – 60 years later – and have helped turn the ideals of M. K. into a global manufacturing powerhouse serving more than 80 countries worldwide.
M. K. and his wife, Marie, built the company from the ground up while raising three daughters. A World War II Navy fighter pilot and a math major in college, M. K. prided himself on delivering on his word and understanding the financial complexities of balancing a successful business.
Manufacturing started with hack saw blades and one-piece hole saws and has grown over the years to include industrial and portable band saw blades and accessories, reciprocating saw blades and circular saw blades – all of which are developed in our global manufacturing facility that still calls Canton, Ohio, home.
M. K. led his company for 33 years until his death in 1996, and saw it grow from a business first housed in his family garage to a more than 500,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art operation with nearly 500 employees globally.
Today, Morse is led by M. K.’s two daughters, Nancy Morse Sonner and Sally Morse Dale, and the value of family is at the heart of every employee and customer relationship. The third generation of M. K.’s family, Lisa Dale Holbrook and Meagan Sonner-Martino, work side-by-side with Nancy and Sally to ensure the company will remain family owned and carry the same values for generations to come.
Learn more about Morse
1960s
Oct. 22, 1963 – The M. K. Morse Company is founded by M. Kenneth Morse
Production of hacksaws and bi-metal hole saws begins
1970s
“Real McCoy,” the industry’s first one-piece hole saw, is patented
1980s
Jan. 26, 1980
Morse’s manufacturing facility is destroyed in a fire
1990s
1991 – Bimetal composite manufacturing begins
1992 – UK Distribution & Weld Center opens
1993 – West Coast Distribution and Weld Center opens
1996 – Founder M. Kenneth Morse dies
1998 – QuikSilver band saw blades released
2000s
2000 – “Band Man” technical support team is launched
2001 – Master Cobalt recips and Independence band saw blades are released
Metal Devil line of tungsten carbide tipped metal cutting circular saw blades released
2003 – Metal Devil applied product specialists hit the road
2004 – Metal Devil blade manufacturing begins in the
2006 – Morse creates Industrial and Commercial sales divisions
2007 – M-Factor carbide tipped band saw blades are released
Revolution circular saw blades for production cutting are released
Metal Devil circular saws are launched
Metal Devil blades for cutting steel studs and stainless steel are released
2008 – The Morse Achiever band saw blade line is expanded
M-Factor manufacturing expands to include case hardened and general purpose blades
Challenger structural band saw blades are released
2010s
2010 – Next generation of Metal Devil steel cutting blades is released
2011 – Diamond Grit hole saws and reciprocating saw blades released
2012 – Fast Adapt QR Quick Change hole saw arbor system released
Metal Devil NXT Aluminum blade released
Market channels expanded to include Specialty Division with focuses on plumbing, electrical, retail, and national accounts
India warehouse and weld center moves to Pune, partner with Fine Dies and Molds
2013 – Metal Devil 6 ½” cordless saw blades for cutting steel, stainless steel, and aluminum released
8/11 portable band saw blades released
2014 – Metal Devil NXT metal cutting 7” and 9” circular saws released
Reciprocating saw blade line-up released
Carbide Tipped Hole Cutters released
2017 – New Bi-Metal Hole Saw released
CTR carbide tipped recip blades released
2018 – M-Factor GES band saw blades released
Maverick band saw blade released
2020s
2020 – Jawbreaker band saw blade released
2021 – Switchback step drill released
Revolution FS industrial circular saw blade released
Kraken carbide tipped hole saw released
Founder Marie B. Morse passes away
2022 – Metal Devil 4th generation blades released
Tooth Brush released
2023 – Morse acquires UK warehouse and welding center
Morse India celebrates 10 years
Feed Rate Monitor released
2024 – Impact Hole saw released
Spring-loaded pin-drive arbor released
2025 – M-Factor HSN band saw blades for aluminum launched
2026 – Challenger Edge Lock coated bi-metal band saw blades launched
M-Finity industrial metal cutting circular saw blade launched