Multitool mentioned in the book 'Moby-Dick'

[Lynn LeFey]

A quote from Moby-Dick, published in 1851
"He was like one of those unreasoning but still highly useful, multum in parvo, Sheffield contrivances, assuming the exterior—though a little swelled—of a common pocket knife; but containing, not only blades of various sizes, but also screw-drivers, cork-screws, tweezers, awls, pens, rulers, nail-filers, countersinkers."

'Multum in Parvo' means 'much in a little', for those of you, like me, who don't know Latin. I had to look it up.

[ReamerPunch]

No way!   

[Dutch_Tooler]

1851! I'd like to see illustrations of that knife...

[in_sympathy]

Oh wow, great discovery!

[Don Pablo]

1851! I'd like to see illustrations of that knife...

Victorinox didn't exist then. 
I woulder too what it looked like. 

[ReamerPunch]

Something like this, I'd imagine.

[Lynn LeFey]

That's a fantastic pic!

I did a google search for 'old Sheffield multitool' or some such last night, and yeah, there were tons of multitools predating Victorinox. For some reason, what I was seeing a lot of were called 'Carriage Knife' or 'Horse Knife'.

Here's a listing for an 1820s carriage knife for a mere $3500.
http://www.lionseek.com/knives/brand/other/grail-hans-weinmueller-18-430524

And for when that link expires, I saved the image. Described as 'Hans Weinmueller 1820's Carriage knife'.



I was doing a bunch of searching for the origins of the Camp knife and/or scout knife, and came across a site talking about the history of pocket knives, and how the 18th century 'penny knife' led to the popularity of the folding pocket knife, etc., and it had the quote from Moby-Dick.

[eamo]

now that is all very interesting i didn't realise that multitools were such an old concept.

[Fortytwo]

now that is all very interesting i didn't realise that multitools were such an old concept.

I seem to recall seeing medieval specimens but there's also a roman one that is available to buy as a reproduction (here). Supposedly dates back to third or fourth century A.D.

Addendum: Yup, seems like I remembered right, here's a link showing and talking about medieval multitools (and the roman one).

[gerleatherberman]

Lynn,

Thank you for posting about that! Quite fascinating! 

[ironraven]

I've seen some older works call them a "ghille knife", but if you go looking for that term all you'll find is cheap mall ninja garbage and cheap, flammable ghille suits. But I've seen a few of them- they'd be very familiar to us.

General configurations would be akin to stockman pattern (or a Vic), sometimes a trapper or barlow. Horn or wood scales, often a brass bolster (plain or nickled) at the end with the main blade, with two or three blades of which one will be a sheepsfoot or a spey blade. Common tools are a saw blade, hoof pick, gutting hook and very frequently a screwdriver (straight), with a corkscrew being almost universal on the backside. Gimlets and awls are also very common. I've seen some with scissors- a Victorinox-ish spring was in most of those, or no spring. Put it on your watch chain or in a vest pocket, or in a possible bag, and it's got everything you need to maintain a rifle or shotgun, gut small game and fish, and deal with common camp chores.

It was the kind of thing a young gentleman might give the gamekeeper who taught him to shoot, if we're being very English. I think they may also have been produced in German, Austria and.... Switzerland. There was one manufacturer in the US during or before the Civil War, I've seen two on display with camp accoutrements and I'd hazard a guess it would have been in Mass or Conneticut. But the only names that jumps out of my memory is Rodgers (Rogers?) and Sons, from Sheffield, along with maybe Standard?

Let me see what I can find for images....

Amazing example here https://www.michaans.com/crystal-palace-exhibition-multi-blade-ixl-knife-auction/#.Wl_ynXlOlhE

Slightly later version here https://www.pinterest.com/pin/461267186820580517/

Slighter older https://www.pinterest.com/pin/427982770823914693/

A modern version would probably be something like the Puma Jagdmesser, if it's still being made. Or a Vic Trekker- liner locks with brass springs go back to the Romans or Byzantines IIRC, who knows what some Victorian era smith might have thought up.

But when we look at these, only thing we do new is changes in the material.

[Lynn LeFey]

Nice stuff! 

Yeah, apparently the big change wasn't the INVENTION of the Multitool that Victoriox made. It was more putting them in the hands of common people.

I've seen a LOT of knife stuff come out of Providence, Rhode Island. Might that be where the American maker you were thinking of came from? Seems like Providence was like the American version of Sheffield England, just a sort of center of knife production.