Newest (old) combination tools

[J-sews]

True, I haven't been around here much during the past year or so, but rest assured it's not been due to a lack of passion for antique multitools. Quite the contrary, I've managed to score some really nice ones over the past few months. As I mentioned to the other mods, my priorities in life are to 1) find crazy old multitools, 2) breathe, 3) eat, 4) everything else!

The problem though is that I haven't had any time to properly photograph and share these old treasures. Until today that is. My honey-do list is loaded with outdoor projects, but (Oh Darn) it's pissing down rain outside. So here we go with a few recent acquisitions, in no particular order:



Hoffritz adjustable wrench/knife
These were made in France, with the earliest advertisements I've seen for them dated in the 1950's. This one stamped HOFFRITZ, a U.S. retailer and distributor. Oftentimes same tool is seen with Seaboard Steel markings, another U.S. distributor.





Sealy combination kitchen tool
Produced by Barcalo, a New York company better known for it's wrenches and automotive tools. One-piece stamped steel with a hammer head, screwdriver blade, and cap lifters on one end and an alligator wrench for opening small jar lids on the other. Patented Oct 4, 1938





A. Iske Compound Implements
A cast iron tool from 1873, it combines important-back-then features such as a boot jack (step on the tool with one foot, lodge the heel of your boot into the open jaws, and then PULL to remove boot) a pot lifter (for picking up hot pots off your cast iron stove) and a corn sheller. Wonder why they don't make a tool like this any more?

[sawman]

Love that Hoffritz multi-wrench 

[Nhoj]

That 1873 tool is awesome!

[J-sews]

This one is a little more knifey and a little less tooly than I normally go for, but it's just so darn cute!


SVCM Verjoux knife
Made in France. Multi-blade pocket knife with a miniature folding monkey wrench. Verjoux was (is?) a company in France that produced wrenches and tools. They presumably supplied their "Baby" model to the knifemaker for this model.

[Gareth]

love the idea of the boot jack tool.   Some lovely stuff there Bob.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Sealy is ripping off Atwood!  Off with their heads!   

I see Metro hasn't responded to this thread- he must have literally dropped everything and is trying to mod a small monkey wrench into a SAK now!

Def

[Zed]

Great stuff bob 

[Chako]

 Yes, I do like that SVCM Verjoux knife.

[J-sews]

Thanks fellers!


Here's one I need a little help with please: It's all brass, about 160mm long, and has a spike that folds out of the handle. At first glance the head appears to be a hammer, but its not, it actually is a special wrench or socket of some sort. The end of the tool has another special shape milled into it. The entire tool has a polished shine to it (hard to capture in photos).

I bought this tool from a seller in the UK, Lincolnshire to be exact, who did not know what the purpose of it was. Anybody know what this thing is for?

[Chako]

No clue, My guess would be some sort of DET tool. 

[J-sews]

No clue, My guess would be some sort of DET tool. 

Yeah, the spike kinda points it in that direction doesn't it? Good thinking Dan. That and the fact that it is brass. (non-sparking)  Hoping to get some confirmation from somebody though.

[Chako]

I just did a search using Google Images with a variety of search strings...and came up with nothing.

I was also thinking it may be something more esoteric...as in a tool used for artillery folks in the days where they might need to punch a hole in a bag of gunpowder or something. The rest might be some sort of sighting tool or whatever. Just grasping at straws here.

I also used that number 4 in my search strings also. I thought that might be significant.

You got yourself a good mystery there Bob. 

[Nhoj]

Whatever that tool is, it's a good looking one. I hope we discover its purpose.

[David]

Lots of  vintage tools there Bob!

[Gareth]

That's an odd one and no mistake Bob.   The soldered on head section very much puts me in mind of a radiator bleed key, but the actual socket shape doesn't match up.  It does seem very vaguely familiar but I can't place it.

[Taxi Dad]

That's an odd one and no mistake Bob. The soldered on head section very much puts me in mind of a radiator bleed key, but the actual socket shape doesn't match up.  It does seem very vaguely familiar but I can't place it.

that was my first thought 

[nuphoria]

You have been finding some lovely tools... thanks for sharing them.

Question; do you find them in such good condition generally, or do a load of cleaning and buffing before we get to see them?

[J-sews]

You have been finding some lovely tools... thanks for sharing them.

Question; do you find them in such good condition generally, or do a load of cleaning and buffing before we get to see them?

Thanks Chrissy Some of them are in pristine shape, which is rather amazing when you consider how old they are (that Hoffritz wrench knife is as mint as the day it came out of the factory a half century ago) while others have led a very hard life indeed. I have managed to accumulate a rather extensive TLC kit over the years for fixing up the ones that are in rough shape. Old used toothbrushes, a couple of dental picks, a fine steel wire brush and a brass wire brush, a can of WD40, a can of compressed air, and a cordless dremel tool with a variety of polishing bobs are all it takes to bring most tired old pieces back to life. That and a generous helping of elbow grease of course.

[nuphoria]

And a most satisfying result when you get them looking like that

[Yadda]

The brass tool leans toward a nautical use. The sockets seem too specific for a DET.

[J-sews]

The brass tool leans toward a nautical use. The sockets seem too specific for a DET.

Ah, so you are thinking that the spike is a marlin spike for knots? And being made of brass would make sense from an anti-corrosion standpoint. Could be I guess.

[AimlessWanderer]

Some excellent finds there Bob 

The brass one appears to be a mining key for shotfiring, so DET was along the right lines 

[enki_ck]

Al to the rescue.

[Yadda]

Too cool!

I had to look into it a little more.  They are also called exploder keys.

This link has a diagram showing how the key portion was used.

http://www.mining-memorabilia.co.uk/Explosive_Canister%20Identification_Tags.htm

Here's another one that is similar from Wales.

http://ns1.holidays.net/store/VINTAGE-COLLIERS-EXPLOSIVES-SHOT-FIRING-KEY-NINE-POINT-COLLIERY-WALES-MINING_271190488571.html

[Chako]

Ha! I never thought to search for mining uses. I was stuck on military ones.   

[J-sews]

And SHAZAM!, there it is! Woohoo, thanks fellas! A little bit more googling and look what turns up; the Minnovation Universal Shot Firing Key. Almost a dead ringer for mine.

http://www.minnovation.co.uk/product_list.aspx?catid=43&subcatid=85





 

[J-sews]

A few more


Ten In One Tool
Patented in Canada by Frederick Alderson in 1926, and in the U.S. in 1932. Hammer, nail puller, screwdriver, bottle cap lifter, knife sharpener, weight scale, corkscrew, can opener, and five inch ruler. Made in Canada.





Ami Open-All
Kitchen/bartender's tool, with four different toothed sections for opening different size container lids. Also a hammer/ice cracking head, a cap lifter, and a screwdriver/pry tip. Later version included a corkscrew, early versions did not. Chrome plated brass. Patented by Joseph N. Amigone of Buffalo, New York, in 1951.





unknown
Small hammer tool made completely from brass. Folding knife blade and corkscrew are made from steel and then bronze plated. Probably a cocktail/bartenders tool for cracking ice? I bought it from a seller in the U.K. who had no idea of it's origins. Hopefully you guys (Al) can figure this one out for me too.

[AimlessWanderer]

unknown
Small hammer tool made completely from brass. Folding knife blade and corkscrew are made from steel and then bronze plated. Probably a cocktail/bartenders tool for cracking ice? I bought it from a seller in the U.K. who had no idea of it's origins. Hopefully you guys (Al) can figure this one out for me too.

I'd guess at a bar tool too, but nothing else springs to mind other than the knife blade and nail nick doesn't look particularly British to me. Looks like it's held together with sel-loc pins too 


EDIT: ... in fact, that style of knife blade kind of reminds me of a Higonokame knife 

[J-sews]

Yep, those are roll pins (also called spring pins by some) at all the pivots. As you may have guessed, she's not exactly the stoutest tool in the toolbox. And I agree, it has a 1970's-Japanese look and feel about it.

[Ray S]

Here is one from my accumulation:Made by Hickock;it includes a hammer/ice pick;corkscrew;olive fork with spring loaded remover;swizzle stick;cap lifter;and knife blade for foil or whatever;all packaged in nice leather sheath.