Now this is interestin' - can anyone give me some background on it?

[tosh]

Well I saw this on ebay a few days ago and just had to have it - contacted the seller, agreed a price and presto!! it arrived today.

I was intrigued by the radical approach to the multi spanner problem. I fully expected this to be a poor quality toy based on a simple but effective idea.
What has arrived is by all accounts a very well made tool. the pouch although grimy, looks to be made from nappa leather of all things - very soft.
The tool is galvanised and all links move smoothly and precisely lock into each other to create any ring spanner between 10mm -19mm.

I've no idea where it's from, who manufactured it and when it was released.
Can anybody offer some insight.

[enki_ck]

Not much I can tell you about it except something similar was mentioned before here.

http://forum.multitool.or....msg674924.html#msg674924

There's even a video of it.

[tosh]

Not much I can tell you about it except something similar was mentioned before here.

http://forum.multitool.or....msg674924.html#msg674924

There's even a video of it.

Cheers enki

Yes, it is obviously related in some way - I did note the open ended spanner in the video looked to be for small heads, whereas this beast boasts a 19mm ring spanner (3/4").
It's actually incredibly tight once folded flat ready for use. The linkage really does lock it altogether well.
I'll upload some clearer photos over the next few days if anyone's interested.

Personally I'm chuffed to bits with it. I've just put some leather cleaner on the pouch to try and smarten it up - I'll also dig out  "her" sewing box and try to repair the tear in the seam.

[stealth007s]

That's pretty cool Tosh!¡! I have seen them before but never owned one.

[tosh]

Can't believe it's 5yrs since I posted this 
But there's good reason why I've resurfaced it.
After showing pictures of the tool, enki kindly pointed out there was another very similar idea that used open spanners instead of ring spanners.

For the past 5yrs I've made a concerted effort to track it down...well track it down I did and it duly arrived today. 

I'm chuffed to bits...

[tosh]

Here's a couple of pics of them both together for size comparison

[SteveC]

Cool  !   

[Aloha]

Early TREAD. 

[gregozedobe]

Some really cool tools there tosh     

I've seen similar tools on ebay from time to time but managed to resist the temptation (so far by telling myself they don't have pliers, therefore they don't belong in my collection (and yes, I know I have made many (many !) exceptions to this rule in the past, but that is the benefit of setting your own rules, you're allowed to ignore them when you want).

[tosh]

Never thought of adding the Tread to the shot 
By comparison the Tread is a fail - lol

Yes Greg, I normally only seek plier based too, but this and Wengers are an exception

[Yadda]

Very nice set!

[gregozedobe]

Yes Greg, I normally only seek plier based too, but this and Wengers are an exception

Yeah, it is good to allow yourself some exceptions (although some of the rarer Wengers may strain the old credit card a bit). 
My exceptions seem to be mainly old Pruner Mts, Zippo (by Case) promo Fixxits, and those weird/wacky Stanley Clock/watch tools that came in a mini tool-box (I'm sure the design guys from Stanley were hitting the mind-altering substances pretty hard when coming up with new ideas).

[tosh]

Yes Greg, I normally only seek plier based too, but this and Wengers are an exception

Yeah, it is good to allow yourself some exceptions (although some of the rarer Wengers may strain the old credit card a bit). 
My exceptions seem to be mainly old Pruner Mts, Zippo (by Case) promo Fixxits, and those weird/wacky Stanley Clock/watch tools that came in a mini tool-box (I'm sure the design guys from Stanley were hitting the mind-altering substances pretty hard when coming up with new ideas).

As most know, I'm fanatical about Wengers...BUT the prices are just too rich for my blood these days. I'm slowly (albeit very slowly) building up a Sheffield made pocketknife collection, mainly because it's my home city. Not many as yet, but as and when they turn up I put a bid on and walk away. It's actually much easier than as I was with Multitools, jeez I just had to have it regardless!!

[glenfiddich1983]

 

[cody6268]

Yes Greg, I normally only seek plier based too, but this and Wengers are an exception

Yeah, it is good to allow yourself some exceptions (although some of the rarer Wengers may strain the old credit card a bit). 
My exceptions seem to be mainly old Pruner Mts, Zippo (by Case) promo Fixxits, and those weird/wacky Stanley Clock/watch tools that came in a mini tool-box (I'm sure the design guys from Stanley were hitting the mind-altering substances pretty hard when coming up with new ideas).

Really, the Zippo Fixxit was my (bad) introduction to the MT world. You don't see them too often, even though apparently, it was available through 2006.  Granddad got one from the owner of an concrete casting company (mostly making cinderblock, septic tanks, and that sort of stuff) Christmas, 1996 (as per his record written on the box). It's branded with that company's logo. Sometimes, I wonder with the Fixxit being just a block, if advertising was one of Case's main priorities, not a tough, compact tool.


Now this is an interesting concept for a multitool. However--why not an adjustable wrench? 

[gregozedobe]

Really, the Zippo Fixxit was my (bad) introduction to the MT world. You don't see them too often, even though apparently, it was available through 2006.  Granddad got one from the owner of an concrete casting company (mostly making cinderblock, septic tanks, and that sort of stuff) Christmas, 1996 (as per his record written on the box). It's branded with that company's logo. Sometimes, I wonder with the Fixxit being just a block, if advertising was one of Case's main priorities, not a tough, compact tool.

Based on all the ones I've seen advertising all sorts of different (mostly US ?) companies, I think you are right on the money about them being an advertising item for companies to buy from Zippo as give-away promotional items, rather than a practical multi tool to sell to end-users.  Case did sell them under their own brand as well, and there was the "Shooter's Tool" variant too.

[ThePeacent]

well it took Zippo a few years to come up with a decent Multitool attempt, maybe they thought the bigger the better but I'm not sold on this

https://www.zippo.com/products/axesaw