Old, antique and discontinued tools

Grant Lamontagne · **on:** December 27, 2006, 11:52:01 PM

One of the reasons I started this site was to collect some information on pre-Leatherman era tools. So far, we've mostly talked about post Leatherman tools and that is great, but it seems like it might be time to start branching out a bit. I personally don't know alot about the older tools, but I do know that we have a few members that are quite knowledgeable about them.

Maybe, if we poke and prod them enough we might get a few more pictures and some information out of them!

Def

Fred · **Reply #1 on:** December 28, 2006, 02:15:56 AM

Id love to see some old tools too

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #2 on:** December 28, 2006, 09:32:34 PM

Most of the original content that is of interest here will end up on the main site so as not to get buried. If you would like to put together some photos and information and send them to me at grant.lamontagne@gmail.com I would be verry interested in posting the whole kit & kaboodle in a section on the main site dedicated to multitool history. It would be available there, www.multitool.org for all to see as long as this site exists, which should be a while.

Gathering multitool information and sharing it is the whole reason this site exists.

Def

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #3 on:** December 28, 2006, 09:33:09 PM

Oh, and great pics by the way! That's pretty well what I was hoping for!

Def

J-sews · **Reply #4 on:** December 29, 2006, 02:51:46 AM

Here's an interesting one. It's an old German plier/knife tool, with stag handles and a polished brass bolster. Like many vintage German knives and tools, it was produced in the great cutlery town of Solingen.

J-sews · **Reply #5 on:** December 29, 2006, 03:18:02 AM

The only markings are SMF Solingen. I got it direct from Germany, via an English antique dealer.

~Bob

J-sews · **Reply #6 on:** December 30, 2006, 04:39:11 AM

Okay, here's another old Multicontraption. It was made back in 1902 by the Thomas Mfg Company of Dayton, Ohio. It uses a sliding vise-grip plier mechanism to get a firm grip on too-tight jar lids for easier opening. There's also a can opener, a corkscrew, a cap lifter, and a screwdriver blade attached in various places.

No turn-of-the-last-century kitchen should be without one!

J-sews · **Reply #7 on:** December 30, 2006, 05:00:03 AM

As sole judge and arbitrator of what qualifies to be in my collection, I decided that the can opener spike was close enough.

J-sews · **Reply #8 on:** December 31, 2006, 11:17:54 PM

Hey Doug, I hope you don't mind if I show everybody one of your oldies. This thing looks like it was hand-forged in a blacksmith's shop sometime around the dawn of time, maybe a bit earlier!

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #9 on:** December 31, 2006, 11:59:01 PM

Now that is one of the most distinctive tools I have ever seen! And to think we've gotten so soft as to think the old Leatherman handles were uncomfortable! That one looks as if you would lose at least one finger every time you took it out!

Def

lonediver · **Reply #10 on:** January 01, 2007, 03:04:34 AM

Quote from: J-sews on December 31, 2006, 11:17:54 PM

Hey Doug, I hope you don't mind if I show everybody one of your oldies. This thing looks like it was hand-forged in a blacksmith's shop sometime around the dawn of time, maybe a bit earlier!

No , I do not mind you showing it Bob .

From left to right it has an awl , double edged knife , scissors , tweezers , and the last is either a snuff spoon or ear wax cleaner . Note the attempt at scalloping at the base of the blades and center of the scissors handles . I acquired it from a fellow in Ireland . Who knows when it was made but judging by the patina on it , it was a VERY long time ago .

Sure you still do not want to trade for it ? I know of a few in your collection that we could work a deal on .

J-sews · **Reply #11 on:** January 03, 2007, 02:20:17 AM

Quote from: lonediver on January 01, 2007, 03:04:34 AM

Sure you still do not want to trade for it ? I know of a few in your collection that we could work a deal on .

Thanks, I'm still pondering that offer......

In the mean time, how about multitool wrenches? This one is another German device, stamped Monopol Solingen Germany.
Identical ones I've seen have been marked with the Voss Cutlery logo.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #12 on:** January 03, 2007, 02:46:49 AM

I don't know why, but that one kind of reminds me of Vincent from The Black Hole...

Def

J-sews · **Reply #13 on:** January 03, 2007, 03:14:03 AM

Uhhh.....I don't know why either......what the hell is a Vincent?

prime77 · **Reply #14 on:** January 03, 2007, 03:21:13 AM

Quote from: J-sews on January 03, 2007, 03:14:03 AM

Uhhh.....I don't know why either......what the hell is a Vincent?

I saw that movie once a long time ago

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #15 on:** January 03, 2007, 03:26:29 AM

That's probably about once more than most people saw it!

Vincent was an R2D2 knockoff from Disney's first attempt at Sci Fi shortly after Star Wars came out. It was kind of like a futuristic 100,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which just happened to include Vincent (pictured above), a similar model robot that was beat up named Bob (you'd have loved him!) and an evil, powerful robot named Maximillian who bore a striking resemblance to Darth Vader.

Except he was red. That made him original, right?

There you go- you learn something new every day. Maybe not something useful or intelligent, but something!

Def

J-sews · **Reply #16 on:** January 04, 2007, 02:39:17 AM

Hmmm, I can think of about a dozen smart-aleck replies to that one. Too many to choose from, so I'll just pass for now......

665ae · **Reply #17 on:** January 04, 2007, 03:14:47 AM

Maybe now's not the right time to admit how much I like that movie... and that I own it...

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #18 on:** January 04, 2007, 03:21:00 AM

I been thinking of renting it again... I haven't seen it since it was in theatres!

Man, when I was a kid I loved Vincent and Bob!

Def

J-sews · **Reply #19 on:** January 04, 2007, 03:24:14 AM

Can't........hold........back.........much..........longer..........

665ae · **Reply #20 on:** January 04, 2007, 03:26:11 AM

When I was a kid... Maxmillian scared the hell out of me.

I love watching that movie now and seeing all the wires holding stuff up

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #21 on:** January 04, 2007, 03:55:54 AM

Yeah, there's a certain level of enjoyment to seeing those old movies and saying "Oh my God... how did I ever think that was cool?"

Like watching the old Bella Lugosi Dracula and seeing what appears to be 1/2 inch manilla hemp holding up a small rubber bat!

Def

665ae · **Reply #22 on:** January 04, 2007, 06:40:51 AM

Hehe... I remember being a little kid, and my mom and dad taking me and my sister to the drive in to see E.T. I remember thinking how great that movie was...

about a year ago I rented it because I wanted to see it again... damn, that movie sucked...

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