I don't post here enough and I apologize but it would be just plain wrong not to share this with you guys. I am always looking for rare or unusual american knives and this one was probably the best score I have EVER had. It has seen better days but actually is in remarkable condition given it's age. It was in a dealer's junk knife box behind the counter. All I could make out on the tang was "Union" so I assumed it probably is the precursor to Kabar... Union Cutlery co. That's pretty good by itself, but these early multitools which are actually a farrier's tool to care for horses, are very scarce regardless of maker. But, as even better luck would have it, it turns out the maker is actually Union Knife Company of Naugatuck CT. This early American maker was Civil War era and only existed from 1851-1885 when a fire destroyed the factory. Most surviving knives from this company were actually hobo style slot type knives used during the Civil War. This is the only knife like this from them that I can find reference to anywhere. The part that amazes me is that despite the broken corkscrew and 1 blade, the tweezers and pin inserts are still in tact. I have no problem toiling through hundreds of knives if occasionally I get a little treasure like this. Hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think. I wonder a lot about whether this could have been used during the war for horses etc.
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