SeaBoard Steel MultiTool (French MT from the 50's)

MultiMat · **on:** October 30, 2009, 03:29:56 PM

I nabbed this ripper recently, a French made MT from the 1950's , going by Bob's/J-sews information in another thread. Seaboard was a French manufacture that made exclusive tools for the American mail order market in the 50's. Here is Bob's post http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,1403.0.html

I got my one for a bit of a steal at just over $30us. It appears to be almost new & of a very high quality. It feels very solid & has a beautiful weighted feel in hand, NICE

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll287/multimat426/SeaBoard%20Steel/S6303599.jpg[/img]]

Shiny like a Vic

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll287/multimat426/SeaBoard%20Steel/S6303602.jpg[/img]]

Tools; pliers with wire cutters , straight blade , combined file cap lifter & straight edge screw driver & a whopper of a awl.

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll287/multimat426/SeaBoard%20Steel/S6303601.jpg[/img]]

The only branding on the tool

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll287/multimat426/SeaBoard%20Steel/S6303600.jpg[/img]]

It took me awhile to work out how too open the pliers. I see this after

.To open the pliers you push down on the handle which then allows you to open the locking bail.

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll287/multimat426/SeaBoard%20Steel/S6303598.jpg[/img]]

Some awl isn't

compared too a PST's awl. I think more stylish than functional , a bit like French cars

The tool just needed a good clean & the plier's pivot was sticking a bit , a bit of lube & it is smooth as silk

.It also came with I think it's original leather sheath.

Mr. Whippy · **Reply #1 on:** October 30, 2009, 03:42:13 PM

That's beautiful (like the French).

Are there any French made multitools anymore?

Mike, Lord of the Spammers! · **Reply #2 on:** October 30, 2009, 04:45:04 PM

That's a rare bird

prime77 · **Reply #3 on:** October 30, 2009, 06:06:12 PM

That's shiny and cool.

american lockpicker · **Reply #4 on:** October 31, 2009, 02:23:57 AM

I want a new one!

DaveK · **Reply #5 on:** October 31, 2009, 10:17:33 PM

Ooh la la. C'est magnifique!

Nice score Mat.

J-sews · **Reply #6 on:** October 31, 2009, 11:01:53 PM

Awesome bit of multitool history you got there Mat!

That is indeed a nice one!

Like I mentioned in the PM, those old tools from the first half of the 1900's were nickel plated carbon steel, on account of the fact that stainless steels weren't commonly available yet. Unfortunately the plating doesn't get down into every nook and cranny though, so usually these old girls are rusty and corroded down in the blade channels or at the pivot points. Sometimes they are frozen up solid. Which makes the cherry virgin one you have all the more special.

My goodness, even the leather scabbard looks to be minty fresh! (ahem, how about a picture of the sheath for your adoring fans?)

MultiMat · **Reply #7 on:** October 31, 2009, 11:13:54 PM

I thought I should of got a pic of the sheath , after I uploaded all the photos

.
I shall make it right

ausjulius · **Reply #8 on:** November 01, 2009, 07:02:41 PM

ah the french multitools,
good to see you got your hands on one,
i will have to strongly disagree with your observation of them having good quality,, the quality on these is very poor, ive owned and own quite a few and they are very poorly made and finished , at first i thought it was that they had been assembled from old parts in more recent times.. like si so common with german and english made cutlery now ..
but no, it appears they came this way, some are much better quality finish than others,, such as the f grinding on the knife blades being better,
the worst i have is a new condition on made for the french market, hence the statement of "patented" stamped around the pivot bolt , it otherwise unmarked aside from made in france,, and the blade grinding looks done by hand,

these tools do not have fully profiled tool outlines, and the springs have not been profiled at all,leaving the rough burred lip from the stamp clear to see,
the chrome plating is very poor also as it is only applied to the visable surfaces

the working on the tools is clearly done by hand and not done with a machine ,
on the plier jaws you can clearly see the final sharpening before the were chromed was don with a hand file!

the tool tang profiles are all done by hand on a rotary compound wheel and so are very rough and crooked..
most of the parts on these tools are forged and not stamped, as was common with much european cutlery 50 or 60 years ago,, many french knives are still made this way.. but this requires 2 things, either good machine work to make the forms true, ...or skilled hand workers to do it , and here is not the case.
it looks to me as though a company designed a tool , cut the dies and stamped the parts and either when under or maybe never payed for the forgings or something,, and so somebody was forced to without proper expereince in knife fitting and finish complete a whole bunch of them and sell them.

this problem in the tools quality has always bothered me,
and it is not typicaly something youll find in french made cutlery.

it would be interesting to see how many variations of these there is out and if there is a big difference in the quality of the variants.

ausjulius · **Reply #9 on:** November 01, 2009, 07:05:16 PM

and more

Charger · **Reply #10 on:** November 01, 2009, 11:51:52 PM

that things got a marlinspike? impressive

yud · **Reply #11 on:** November 03, 2009, 05:14:14 AM

that looks great

turbov21 · **Reply #12 on:** November 05, 2009, 09:48:00 PM

Sure is pretty. That's a nice gleam/sheen for such an old tool.

Yadda · **Reply #13 on:** August 20, 2014, 10:07:18 PM

Necropost Revival. I joined this club a few months back.

The tool itself is in great shape. It doesn't appear to be used. The sheath doesn't appear to be the original, but it has been with this tool a long time since the indentations in the sheath perfectly match the tool.

This one has been on my weird old Multi tool list since I first lurked on this site several years back.

bdAmmo · **Reply #14 on:** August 21, 2014, 08:22:32 AM

Quote from: Yadda on August 20, 2014, 10:07:18 PM

Necropost Revival. I joined this club a few months back.

The tool itself is in great shape. It doesn't appear to be used. The sheath doesn't appear to be the original, but it has been with this tool a long time since the indentations in the sheath perfectly match the tool.

This one has been on my weird old Multi tool list since I first lurked on this site several years back.

Congrats on the new acquisition

. Looks like a great addition to your collection of vintage tools.

ThirstyTurtle · **Reply #15 on:** March 10, 2020, 02:22:40 PM

Just found one of these in my grandfather-in-law's toolbox that he gave to me about a year ago. It's well-used and needs a good cleaning and cooking - any suggestions of how to clean it? I was just thinking some Dawn and a toothbrush and using sewing machine oil that I have on hand for the pivots?

SteveC · **Reply #16 on:** March 10, 2020, 02:29:16 PM

That sound like a good plan and welcome to the forum !

Yadda · **Reply #17 on:** March 11, 2020, 12:26:45 PM

gregozedobe · **Reply #18 on:** March 12, 2020, 10:02:43 AM

Nice catch

Some of these old MTs have really wicked looking awls, need to be treated with respect.

mikekoz · **Reply #19 on:** June 22, 2020, 11:21:07 PM

I have one of these! I bought it off of a co-worker at the end of last year. Mine is in pretty good shape too! It has some scratches on the blade where it looks like somebody may have used a rock to sharpen it, but other than that, pretty pristine!!

When I found out how old it was, I was surprised. I thought the Leatherman PST was the first tool of its kind. This was about 30 years before Mr. Leatherman created the one that "started it all!" I wonder how many others there are like this that may even be older?

Fuzzbucket · **Reply #20 on:** June 22, 2020, 11:28:47 PM

Good score. It's a classy looking multitool.

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SeaBoard Steel MultiTool (French MT from the 50's)

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