Roman Multitool

[Stormdrane]

I saw this posted on KnifeForums and thought it very interesting.  A Roman multitool, estimated age of the implement/tool is 201AD - 300AD.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I saw this posted on KnifeForums and thought it very interesting.  A Roman multitool, estimated age of the implement/tool is 201AD - 300AD.

One word...

WOW

[Grant Lamontagne]

Seems like some pretty solid evidence that Tim Leatherman didn't invent them after all!

The quality of manufacture looks pretty amazing for something made 1,700 years ago.  That blade looks like something that may be available today.

Def

[Stormdrane]

From looking at other links about this on the Roman Army Talk forum, someone makes replicas available for folks that do Roman Army reinactments.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Roman inventiveness plays a huge part in why the ruled the known world

[I'm Still Bison]

The implement at the end of the spoon looks like a fork,and yet I thought forks were unknown in Europe until about a 1000 years later.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

The implement at the end of the spoon looks like a fork,and yet I thought forks were unknown in Europe until about a 1000 years later.

The roman's probably pinched the idea of the fork from the Pershians

[Stormdrane]

The implement at the end of the spoon looks like a fork,and yet I thought forks were unknown in Europe until about a 1000 years later.

There's further mention of forks in the Roman Talk thread link and more photos of a replica tool that one of the members made.  Here's the Wikipedia entry for the fork.

[I'm Still Bison]

Typically Roman,borrow copiously from the Greeks,and forget the origins.The fork does kind of scupper the image of tricliniums and vomitoriums. I suppose this particular tool was dug up at the site of a castrum,and it fits well the notion of Romans of being exceptionally practical.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Typically Roman,borrow copiously from the Greeks,and forget the origins.The fork does kind of scupper the image of tricliniums and vomitoriums. I suppose this particular tool was dug up at the site of a castrum,and it fits well the notion of Romans of being exceptionally practical.

They could well have stolen the idea from the greeks, but I'm fairly certain that the pershians used fork's, but they in tern probably stole the idea from the greeks, so on balance your probably right

[cortiz1679]

What no cork screw? It reminds me of the LM Flair some 1 posted the other day

[I'm Still Bison]

Considering that the Romans were never really successful in getting real estate from the Persians,I suppose they consoled themselves by helping themselves to the silverware.
 I wouldn't mind getting my hands on a reproduction to see just how useful the things were.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Considering that the Romans were never really successful in getting real estate from the Persians,I suppose they consoled themselves by helping themselves to the silverware.
 I wouldn't mind getting my hands on a reproduction to see just how useful the things were.

Group buy any one

[I'm Still Bison]

Considering that the Romans were never really successful in getting real estate from the Persians,I suppose they consoled themselves by helping themselves to the silverware.
 I wouldn't mind getting my hands on a reproduction to see just how useful the things were.

Group buy any one

             I'm sure it will have LEGIONS of fans And with that lame attempt at humor,I will give credit and praise to the workmanship of the era.

[CQC-7]

I was an archaeologist and I am not usually impressed by anything that people find on various sites.  Somthing interesting is found everyday.  I will have to say that is one of the coolest things that I have ever seen that has been unearthed from an archaeological site.  It appears to be somthing that would be carried by a traveler, shepard, or possibly a soldier.  As for the origin on the tool I dont know.  Forks were not widely used because they are not really practical (you have hands, why carry somthing you dont need).  Research has found that Roman trade connections were quite vast, stretching far past the boundries of the empire.  The tool could have been produced in the far reaches of the empire or the idea could have come from the far reaches of the roman empire and been produced in Rome.  The possibilities are literally endless.  Even on native american sites it is not all that uncommon to find stone tools in which the raw materials used to make the implement existed many hundreds if not thousands of miles from where the artifact was found.  I once worked on a site in Northern Kentucky that contained many artifacts made of mica.  The closest source of mica was in North Carolina.  Tool technology spread in much the same manner.  Different projectile point (arrowhead) designs caught on in some places and moved to other areas where they replaced current technology which was later replaced by better technology and so on.        

[Benner]

That's a pretty cool tool.

Very interesting that. 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

This is turning into a very enlighting thread, do you guys feel alright

Serious keep the posts coming, I'm a big fan of history

[CQC-7]

I will have to say that I am in awe of that tool.  It looks like somthing that might even be found in the pack WWI soldier or in some mountain man possibles bag.  I am amazed that they had such an implement way back when but then again they are the Romans.  They had things then that were not really perfected until much much later in time.  Some of their brain surgery methods had the same survival rates as in developed countries in the modern era .   

[NeitherExtreme]

Now thats cool. I didn't realise they could make pivots like that so long ago!
Am I right that the knife never really folds away to the point of protecting the blade, so it needs that leather sheath?

[J-sews]

From looking at other links about this on the Roman Army Talk forum, someone makes replicas available for folks that do Roman Army reinactments.

That thing is stunning!! 

I just now sent off an email to the replica maker, asking for more details.

[I'm Still Bison]

I will have to say that I am in awe of that tool.  It looks like somthing that might even be found in the pack WWI soldier or in some mountain man possibles bag.  I am amazed that they had such an implement way back when but then again they are the Romans.  They had things then that were not really perfected until much much later in time.  Some of their brain surgery methods had the same survival rates as in developed countries in the modern era .   

                              Some of the surgical tools Roman physicians had,are nearly identical to ones used today.

[NeitherExtreme]

I will have to say that I am in awe of that tool.  It looks like somthing that might even be found in the pack WWI soldier or in some mountain man possibles bag.  I am amazed that they had such an implement way back when but then again they are the Romans.  They had things then that were not really perfected until much much later in time.  Some of their brain surgery methods had the same survival rates as in developed countries in the modern era .   

                              Some of the surgical tools Roman physicians had,are nearly identical to ones used today.

How was their anesthesia?

[I'm Still Bison]

I will have to say that I am in awe of that tool.  It looks like somthing that might even be found in the pack WWI soldier or in some mountain man possibles bag.  I am amazed that they had such an implement way back when but then again they are the Romans.  They had things then that were not really perfected until much much later in time.  Some of their brain surgery methods had the same survival rates as in developed countries in the modern era .   

                              Some of the surgical tools Roman physicians had,are nearly identical to ones used today.

How was their anesthesia?
                                           The ancients were well aware of the medicinal properties of plants,and there is evidence they knew of the opium poppy.

[NeitherExtreme]

Well, I usually steer clear of opium but I think if it was time for brain surgery I might re-evaluate that

[I'm Still Bison]

Well, I usually steer clear of opium but I think if it was time for brain surgery I might re-evaluate that

                      You ain't alone in that opinion!

[J-sews]

Here's a better picture of the replica:

[I'm Still Bison]

I guess the nearest modern equivalent may be a hobo or camp knife.I'd be interested in seeing how it stacks up against it's 21st century descendent.

[NeitherExtreme]

That's really neat. And it looks like they did a good job of sticking to the original design So... will any of these be joining the J-sews Museum

[I'm Still Bison]

Definitely a new entry/category in the Multitool Encyclopedia!

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

They were really advanced in the field of amputations too, and it wasnt till the first world war that modern medicine caught up