Multi-Tools Related to Japan

[hiraboo]

>comis

Thank you for your reply, domo arigatou! (*′∇`*)φ

I'd have a hard time to use the knife even if I were to ever win one. 

Yes I think so. It is unique but not useful.
I will cut my fingers when handle it. （ΩДΩ）



It has been a long time since my last post.
I have a few more things to share with you. Please be patient for the next post.

Tonight I introduce,


SARCO TriEdge



TE-BK TriEdge Black model.
There also is TE-SV Duraluminum model.


Sarco Pocket Knives is a knife dealership located in Florence, Alabama.
This tool is one of the multi-tools related to Japan.





This is a small tool. I put the Tri Edge and Victorinox Tourist(84mm) side by side.
The material of the handle is black micarta.





The components are a pen blade knife, scissors and nail clippers. Therefore, this tool may be called a multi-grooming tool.









But the nail clippers seem a bit small for me.

Oh, I almost forgot.





"JAPAN" is printed on the blade.
Because of I bought used one, ah... printed characters are almost gone.

[hiraboo]

Well, today I will post...

Before I cut to the chase, here are some unusual items from Victorinox, "Victorinox amenity kits."


Image from SWISS Media Relations


These items were produced by Victorinox for Swiss air business class passengers.
For more information you may visit;
https://swiss.newsmarket.com/english/press-releases/swiss-offers-new-business-class-amenity-kits/s/4aa3eaab-2cdb-40ee-a423-3921961fed5e

I bought it on a Japanese auction site.





The amenity kit included a toothbrush, toothpaste, eye mask, earplugs, and so on.
I had hoped that one of these would contain a Victorinox tool that I could take with me on the plane, but that was not the case.





So I have discarded its contents and use only the case, to carry a power cord and USB cables.
It is my EDC item.





Now, here is the main issue.

In above post, I introduced SARCO TriEdge as a multi-grooming tool.
Then I remembered some Victorinox sets including grooming tools was sold in Japan. 


Victorinox Original Set (TenStar Kit)







In the mirror-finished can case, there are nail clippers, scissors, tweezers, a nail file, a earpick, a SAK knife, and a mirror. 
By the way, it is difficult to take a good picture of a mirror. The camera gets caught.





The SAK knife is Victorinox Bantam(84mm).
So you can't bring on board an airplane, sorry.





In Japan, Victorinox Japan Inc. has been selling all Victorinox items since its establishment in Janualy 1993.
Prior to that, Sanpo-Syoji Co., Ltd. was the exclusive distributor of Victorinox products since 1975. "TenStar" is the brand name of them.

I bought it on a Japanese flea market site. I think it is new in box.
In this set, there are a green colored warrantry of the SAK knife published by Victorinox Japan, a grey colored instruction paper published by Sanpo-Syoji.
So this is the unique double named product sold in 1990's.

And I also have another type of Victorinox Original Set.







This is a simpler set than that.





The SAK knife is Victorinox Excelsior(84mm).
So you also can't bring on board an airplane, sorry.





This was a product of Sanpo-Syoji(TenStar) too. I think it maight be an older version.

[Yadda]

Nice finds!

[SteveC]

Great stuff hiraboo !   

[hiraboo]

>Yadda
>SteveC

Thank you for your reply. (*′∇`*)φ

These “Victorinox Original Set” are local version, of course.
I often see them on Japanese auction or flea market site.
The contents except the SAK knife are cheap quality. So I think it is not worth the purchase even if you interested in.

I hope you all are still living healthy.
Because I’m such a square, I always wear a mask even if I walked in a park.
(*口*)

[Sazabi]

I don’t think I’ve posted in this thread yet, so I just wanted to say thank you for all of this amazing information. I have absolutely loved diving down this rabbit hole and seeing all of the unique items (and their histories!) you have found.

I would love to come across one of those SwissAir kits, not to mention an Original Kit as what you recently posted, not to mention some of the card tools you have likewise found.

This is an amazing wealth of information.

[hiraboo]

> Sazabi

I'm glad you enjoy this thread.
I wish these information may help you.
I want to appreciate your warm words more, but I and Google translation have poor vocabulary to do so.
Thank you very very very much!　＼(^▽^)/

I hope you may find some wonderful multi-tools,  and share information with me. Good luck!  ( *• ̀ω•́ )b

[hiraboo]

About LIFE-TOOL (WALLE-HAWK) 1 / 3


As I posted before, there were a lot of card-type multi-tools made in Japan. But they had had the same origin, the LIFE-TOOL, imported from U.S.A and caused big boom in Japan. LIFE-TOOL was the memorial, historical and special multi-tool to Japanese, especially elder men (boys at that time) like me.

So I have wanted to know much about LIFE-TOOL, one of my roots.
One day, I find a thread about LIFE-TOOL in the forum of BushcraftUSA.

・Walle-Hawk and other credit card survival tools

I was very surprised to learn that LIFE-TOOL was named WALLE-HAWK in the early days. And thanks to their knowledge, I was able to do more research.
So much of the information I will post are same as in that thread. I am appreciating again for their great works.



Who made WALLE-HAWK and when?



Part of the patent documents of MULTIPURPOSE TOOLS AND WALLET HOLDERS THEREFOR



Patent document of trademark WALLE-HAWK


The inventor was Jessie Morrision.
He filled the patent documents of the object in June 1966.
And he established Walle-Hawk Corporation and started to sell WALLE-HAWK at almost same time.



When was WALLE-HAWK changed to LIFE-TOOL?


I searched magazines and book articles about WALLE-HAWK / Allison Forge Corporation to guess when the name changed.
Using INTERNET ARCHIVE website, enter some keywords…

Hey, there are a lot of playboy magazine archives! I just see them for academic purpo… WOW !

Ah, OK. I will return to my job.
I will arrange the found materials in chronological order.




( 1 ) Reply-O-Letter Co. ".30-.30". The Reporter of Direct Mail Advertising (May 1968). Vol. 30, No. 1, p14.

Descript: WALLE-HAWK
Photo: WALLE-HAWK
Seller: Walle-Hawk Corp.




( 2 ) Angier, Bradford. Survival with Style. Vintage Books, 1974 (Originally published by Stackpole Books, in 1972.), p314.

Descript: WALLE-HAWK
Illustration: WALLE-HAWK, PATENT PENDING
Seller: Walle-Hawk Corp. The inventor Jessie Morrision was the president of this company.




( 3 ) Pulik, Melanie. “What’s New”. Motor Boating and Sailing (April 1974). Vol. 133, No. 4, p14.

Descript: WALLE-HAWK
Photo: WALLE-HAWK, PAT. NO. 3461469
Seller: Allison Forge Corp.

This is the first time that the description of Allison Forge Corporation has appeared. After this the seller had been changed Walle-Hawk Corporation to Allison Forge Corporation.



Patent document of trademark, Allison Forge Corporation

According to the patent document, Allison Forge Corporation was established in 1974.

[hiraboo]

About LIFE-TOOL (WALLE-HAWK) 2 / 3



( 4 ) An unsigned article. “What’s New”. Science and Mechanics (May 1974). Vol. 45, No. 5, p34.

Descript: WALLE-HAWK
Photo: can’t read
Seller: Allison Forge Corp.




( 5 ) McKeown, Bill. “All Outdoors”. Popular Mechanics (July 1974). Vol. 142, No. 1, p.57.

Descript: WALLE-HAWK
Photo: WALLE-HAWK
Seller: Allison Forge Corp.




( 6 ) An unsigned article. “Products”. Air Progress (August 1974). Vol.35, No. 2, p.74.

Descript: WALLE-HAWK, Survival booklet, Fire-starting plastic freshnel [sic] burning lens(optional), Carrying case
Photo: WALLE-HAWK
Seller: Allison Forge Corp.




( 7 ) Lachuk, John. “Survival”. Pickup Van & 4wd (July 1976). Vol. 4, No.10, p.75.

Descript: LIFE-TOOL, Plastic compact case, Wafer-thin plastic burning lens, Mini-manual
Seller: Allison Forge Corp.

This is the first time that the description of LIFE-TOOL has appeared.
Now you know that WALLE-HAWK had been changed to LIFE-TOOL by at least 1974 to 1976!

I bought the LIFE-TOOL on the Japanese flea market website. Which seemed to be sold at that time.






It is interesting that the wording of the manual was corrected and used.
As far as I can tell, WALLE-HAWK has never been sold in Japan. So I think this tool was sold in Japan after the late 1970s.

[hiraboo]

About LIFE-TOOL (WALLE-HAWK) 3 / 3



( 8 ) Henkin, Harmon. The Complete Fisherman’s Catalog. J. B. Lippincott Company, 1977, p411.

Discript: WALLE-HAWK
Illustration: No name
Seller: Walle-Hawk Corp. (End of the book, in the sellers list)




( 9 ) Strung, Norman. The Complete Hunter’s Catalog. J. B. Lippincott Company, 1977, p150.

Descript: LIFE-TOOL, Vinyl case, Illustrated instruction manual
Photo: LIFE-TOOL
Seller: Allison Forge Corp.

It's interesting that both books ( 8 ) and ( 9 ) were sold by the same publisher and printed in the same year. Obviously, book ( 8 ) referred to old information.




( 10 ) An unsigned article. “Adventure Quartermaster”. Soldier of Fortune (March 1978), Vo.3, No.2, p80.

Descript: LIFE-TOOL, Vinyl plastic case
Photo: LIFE-TOOL
Seller: Allison Forge Corp.




( 11 ) An unsigned article. “Things for Wings”. Air Progress (October 1980). Vol.42, No. 10, p.80.

Descript: LIFE-TOOL
Photo: LIFE-TOOL
Seller: Allison Forge Corp.




( 12 ) Nyerges, Cliff. “Product of the Month”. Desert (June 1981). Vol. 44, No. 5, p61.

Descript: WALLE-HAWK LIFE TOOL, Plastic case, Booklet,
Illustration: LIFETOOL
Seller: Survival Services (inventor Jessie Morrison[sic])

The origin of the name of the WALLE-HAWK was as follows.

According to inventor Morrison, it fits in your wallet and is modern man’s counterpart to the tomahawk.

But I can’t understand why the writer used old name WALLE-HAWK in the article, since the seller already changed its name to LIFE-TOOL. The inventor, Morrision, may had been in another company (Survival Services), not Allison Forge Corporation. I think that when the writer asked about LIFE-TOOL to Morrision, he talked about WALLE-HAWK as the original inventor.




( 13 ) Advertisement of Homesteaders Warehouse. Soldier of Fortune (January 1982), Vo. 7, No. 1, back cover.

Descript: WALLE HAWK (Life Tool), Booklet, Protective vinyl case, Leather case (optional), Fire starting plastic Fresnel lens (optional)
Photo: can’t read

Ah, I can’t understand why they call it as WALLE HAWK (Life Tool).




( 14 ) An unsigned article. “Life-Tool”. America Survival Guide (June 1985), Vol. 7, No. 6, p52.

Descript: LIFE-TOOL Survival System (LIFE-TOOL, Survival manual, Fresnel burning lens with instruction sheet, Vinyl carrying case), Butterfly sharpening tool (optional)
Photo: LIFE-TOOL
Seller: Allison Forge Corp.

I am very happy to find this sentence.

The Allison Forge Corporation of Brookline, Massachusetts, has been manufacturing and selling the Life-Tool Survival System for 12 years, but most of these have been exported to Japan, where they have proven popular with Japanese sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts.

I will talk again. This is the reason why I introduced LIFE-TOOL as the tool related to Japan.

This is the last article about LIFE-TOOL I found on INTERNET ARCHIVE. At that point, LIFE-TOOL seemed to have gradually finished its historic role, why?
Yes, we know the answer. Another monumental tool, the LEATHERMAN PST was launched in 1983. The pre-LEATHERMAN Age was over.


LIFE-TOOL, after that


After Allison Forge Corporation ended to provide LIFE-TOOL, a Japanese company had continued to make it. Just like Walton’s Thumb Fisherman’s Multi-Tool.
(About Walton’s Thumb tool, please see my previous post hear and hear.)

Here is the company official blog about the Japanese continuation version of LIFE-TOOL.
・A&F Country LIFE TOOL SET
Similar in name to "Abercrombie & Fitch", but "A&F Country", which is Japanese outdoor sports equipment import and sales company.

I found a detailed photo of A&F LIFE-TOOL on a blog.


Image from Kobo-Q x Workshop and Project of Leather Craft

Not “PATENT 3461469” but “SPEC’ 3461469”, I want to believe that this number is a sign of respect for Jessie Morrision.



SUMMERY

1966
     Jessie Morrision invented WALLE-HAWK.
     He established Walle-Hawk Corporation and start to sell WALLE-HAWK.

1974
     Allison Forge Corporation was established and took over the sale of WALLE-HAWK.

1974-1976
     WALLE-HAWK has been renamed LIFE-TOOL.

1990s ?
     LIFE-TOOL had been made and sold by Japanese company, A&F Country. And now it is discontinued item.

[algernonramone]

I am super impressed with the research you've done on these, what a wealth of info! Keep it up!

[hiraboo]

>algernonramone

Thank you for your replying.
I am enjoying looking up information on multi-tools as much as getting rare multi-tools.
I am happy you seemed to enjoy too. (*´∇`*)

Today, I will add some more information about LIFE-TOOL.
I found three articles(advertorials) in the Japanese magazine series.



LIFE-TOOL after that (Japanese Version)




( 15 ) Advertisement of A&F Country. Knife Magazine No.58 (June 1996), Vol. 11, No. 3, p. 2


In 1996, the Alison Forge Corporation trademark registration was not renewed and expired.
Then a Japanese company, A&F Country, took over the manufacturing and sales. I don't know sure but I believe it was legitimate.

It was not explicit, but I think this advertisement was the announce of new launch of the LIFE-TOOL Japanese Version.
They said in the explanation;

This is the tool that has the original shape of many similar tools.

( 16 ) Advertisement of A&F Country. Knife Magazine No.77 (August 1999), Vol. 14, No. 4, p. 2


Yes we had to to survive Y2K with a LIFE-TOOL!
Did something really happen in year 2000?




( 17 ) Advertisement of Mono Shop. Knife Magazine No.150 (October 2011), Vol. 26, No. 5, The back of the cover


On March 11, 2011, a large earthquake and huge tsunami struck Japan.
...Oh I have my story about that, but I will continue the subject now.

After that, many Japanese tried to get disaster prevention supplies in a hurry.
This is the last article I found about LIFE-TOOL. LIFE-TOOL was out of stock around 2012 at A&F Country online shop.



The story about LIFE-TOOL, which is about half a century long, ends quietly.
Thank you very much.

[hiraboo]

APOLLO / Ace-Pal-O Space Age Survival Knife

A few months ago, I got an exchangeable blade knife / tool which I have interested in long time.







I saw it once on ebay, but it was too expensive. This time I could buy it much cheaper because it was in poor condition. And the normal blade has been lost in addition.







You can turn this big screw to fix the blade even with gloves. This oddly shaped screw can be used as a bottle opener. I have not tried it yet.





Some sort of survival equipment were stocked in the body. I want to clean them, but I afraid I might break them when I take them out.

You can see more pictures of this tool with NIB condition on ebay.
I'm sorry they are out of stock now.

・Vtg 1974 ACE-PAL-O Seki Japan Apollo Space Age Survival Knife Folding Multi Tool
https://www.ebay.com/itm/362698323777

・Vtg ACE-PAL-O Seki Japan Blk Apollo Space Age Survival Knife Folding Multi Tool
https://www.ebay.com/itm/401812732123


And you can read great article about this tool on ePrague Knives website.

・The Original Blade Changer: 1957 Space Age Survival Knife
https://bladehistory.com/the-original-blade-changer-1957-space-age-survival-knife/


I am very impressed with this article and want to praise their effort to explorer history of knives.
But I want to suggest only one thing.
They concluded that ACE-PAL-O version was manufactured around 1973 because the patent was granted in 1973 in Japan.



Patent document about Practical Tools, 昭57-1268, Japan.


In fact, however, the document was filled in 1973, and the patent was granted in 1982.
The manufacturer could know Patent No. 1110136 only after 1982. So I think ACE-PAL-O version was manufactured early 80’s.


Apollo program was implemented from 1961 to 1972.



© NASA


The APOLLO version of this tool may have been produced around this time.
The ACE-PAL-O version of this tool may have been produced after 1982.
Oh, Space Shuttle Challenger was launched in July 1982, the new space age was coming.



© NASA


I imagine that this was why they didn’t use the name APOLLO anymore.

[McStitchy]

I am super impressed with the research you've done on these, what a wealth of info! Keep it up!

     ...all those adverts and leaflets 

[old Lefty]

   ...all those adverts and leaflets 

Me too.
1911 x thank you for sharing this stuff

Lähetetty minun SM-T515 laitteesta Tapatalkilla

[Aloha]

This is a really great thread.  Just now catching up. 


hiraboo   .   Thank you so much. 

[hiraboo]

Please forgive my late reply. ｡ﾟﾟ(*´□`*｡)°ﾟ。


> All

I really enjoy researching the history of my favorite tools. And of course, I extremely enjoy learning much more about multi-tools from you.
Thank you very much. （*＾3＾）



Additional information about Quick Clip (Japanese name; Quick Pliers), the difference of the initial model and the later model.

Please see my previous post AL MAR KNIVES Timeline (in Japan).




AL MAR Quick Clip



Left; 4x4 ToolMate
Right; Quick Clip


The Al Mer Quick Clip has only pliers and a knife blade. You may say it is the less functional model of the 4x4 Tool Mate. But there are some additional features.






The thumb stud of the Quick Clip


First, a thumb stud is on the blade. On the other hand, the 4x4 Tool Mate have a nail nick on the blade.
So you can open the blade of the Quick Clip quickly using one hand.




The Pocket Clip of the Quick Clip




The patent documents of US 4347665, “POCKET KNIFE”, Louis S. Gleser 


Second, a patented pocket clip is on the body.
I totally give up reading this patent documents. So, I don’t know much about the patented pocket clip. The inventor Louis Sal Glesser is the founder and owner of Spyderco inc. And I heard Al Mar and Sal Glesser were friends. It’s no surprise that the pocket clip on the Quick Clip is quite same as Spyderco’s one.




3- screw old standard clip of Spyderco (Image from spydiewiki.com)


Now you know why they call it “Quick Clip”, but I don’t know why Japanese call it “Quick Pliers” instead.


Finally getting to the point.
I have owned a Quick Clip later model. Some months ago, I finally got an initial model.




Upper; Quick Clip initial model
Lower; Quick Clip later model


Ok, wait, wait…








Upper; Quick Clip initial model
Lower; Quick Clip later model


The difference between these models seems only the shape of blades.
The serrated points are also look like the Spyderco knives.

[hiraboo]

Long time no see !
I will add some more information to this thread.



RESQVIVAL Scout Knife


The success of the Rambo-First Blood- movie series led to a boom in survival knives in Japan. When the cap on the handle of the survival knife, usually it has a compass on it, is removed, matches, wire, and other items come out from inside. So almost all survival knives are fixed blade knives, not folding knives.

Are there any folding survival knives ?




Here you are !




Just attach the folding knife and the handle of the fixed blade knife.




Of course, if the compass cap is removed, you can stock some items inside of the handle.




This item will appear in the new Rambo movie. Check it out !



RESQVIVAL by Kinryu-Cutlery Manufacturing. Nihon to sekai no knife catalog 88 (September 1988), Seibidou-Publishing, p.73

According to this book, the tool I have is RV119/2 Scout Knife II. You can see another model, RV119/3 Scout Knife III, with a can opener and bottle opener instead of a saw.
As far as I can tell, I do not know if RV119/1 Scout Knife I exists.

[mcorder737]

> SteveC

Thank you !
Don't drink too much !



Kanger Survival & Fishing Tool for Venture
Part 2/2

Last time, I introduced you to various variations of Kanger tools. There is almost no detailed information about Kanger even if you search in Japanese.

However, I barely found out there was another unknown and unusual version of this tool.
Some months ago, when I got an old magazine, I found the unusual Kanger tools in an ad for a store.


(Image removed from quote.)
Fujimori, A. (Eds.) (February 1983). Advertisement for military goods shop "Tokyo Phantom," Monthly COMBAT Magazine special edition "Military2" (Vol.4 No.37), p3. Japan: KK World Photo Press

It was a set of card type multi-tool and belt buckle. And it turns out that there were at least three versions.
The card tool was printed as "Adler" and "KIYA", and was the same as one I posted in Chapter 10.
The belt buckle had the word "Kangar" on it. You can store the card tool in the buckle.
The circle and "新" mark means "new product". So this tool seemed to be newly released in late 1982 or early 1983. The price at that time was 5,000 or 6,000 yen.

Now that it's clear what it looks like, all I have to do is look for it.
And, yes I fortunately found it on a Japanese auction and was able to win the bid.


(Image removed from quote.)

New In the Box ! Really !?


(Image removed from quote.)

The card tool is quite same shape as Adler/KIYA tool. But I have no idea about this "JRC" and the lion mark.
The buckle seems to be made of brass.


(Image removed from quote.)

You can attach the card tool like this. The card tool is fixed unless you push it through square window.


(Image removed from quote.)

The back of the buckle.
You can see the words

"Hayakawa" is the Japanese surname.
Using this name as a clue, I searched for patent information.


(Image removed from quote.)
Patent document of "Band". No. 昭和56-64307(1981) by Shinichi Hayakawa.

Bingo!
Now I can see who invented it and which company made it.

The company that manufactured this tool, HAYAKAWA INDUSTRY INC. is one of the metalworking companies in Seki City. Shinichi Hayakawa was once a CEO of this company.
Interestingly, his company has been a metal stamping service, not a cutlery now and in the past. In the early days of the company, they were subcontracting and stamping cutlery. So they OEMed different companies, and as a result, their products were sold by different brands.


Oh I found WILDWEST brand version, and got it too. 

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

The wolf head mark and WILDWEST is the brand of Fasteners Mailorder System.


The instruction manual describes the origin of the name "Kangar".

(Image removed from quote.)


Now you know that the original Kanger was the buckle part which could incorporate the card type tool.

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

And now you also know that there are two types of card tools, "Adler" and "Big & Pretty".

Even most Japanese enthusiast do not know this information. This is the highest level of confidential information.

As always, should you or any member of your MTo be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow all knowledge of your actions. This tape will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck.

I've actually got one of these, but it's a little different. I know this was a long time ago, but I was trying to figure out what exactly the buckle I had was and I came across this. I don't know if you knew this already or not, but there is another belt buckle. Joined this forum specifically for this right here but I would like to get yalls thoughts on this.
 
Hope the pictures work. Not sure how this place works.

Sent from my SM-A037U using Tapatalk

[hiraboo]

> mcorder737

Great find ! ｄ(＞＿・　）
I had no idea that belt-buckle type Kanger were sold overseas as well. Σ(ﾟωﾟﾉ)ﾉ
The manufacturer, Hayakawa Industries, seems to have invented various types of buckles. Of course, yours is one of them.





Cherish that tool that has traveled through life with you !!
Thank you for sharing the pics.

[IMR4198]

Hi Hiraboo,
      I think you are probably THE authority on Japanese tools here.  Always interesting.  Remarkable in the depth and how complete your posts are.  Best wishes.  G
 

[SteveC]

 

[hiraboo]

>IMR4198

Oh wow, thank you for your compliments.
Of course there are more knowledgeable enthusiasts in Japan, but not many seem to have the courage to post on this forum. So it seems I have no rivals at the moment. （*＾▽＾*）
I will continue to introduce tools with the help of translation applications.


>SteveC

Thank you for reading my posts so often!
(^O^)/C□☆□D＼(^_^ )



HIRO Multi Knife




There is a unique multi-blade knife/tool named HIRO Multi Knife.
The Victorinox Tourist 84mm was placed next to each other for size comparison.




Hiroaki Masui, who manufactured this knife originally worked for another manufacturer IC CUT, but became independent and founded his own company HIRO Knives.




All blades/tools can be removed individually.




And with each pocket clips you can combine any number you like in any order.




Made in Seki-city Japan.




Some of patent documents about "Manual tools in any combination", 特開平9-220375, published Augusr 1997




New Products. Knife Magazine No.64 (June 1997), Vol. 12, No. 3, p. 63

According to this magazine, HIRO Multi Knife was launched in 1997.

[Aloha]

I am catching up on this amazingly generous thread.  hiraboo you ARE our authority on all tools Japanese.  Thank you very much for such detailed information, terrific pictures, and wonderful patent info. 

  to you.