Ancient Multi-tool, move over Tim Leatherman.

T. Erdelyi

T. Erdelyi

Joined
Feb 3, 2001
Messages
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ancient-roman-multitool.jpg


1800 year old Roman multi-tool found. This is so cool.

1800 Roman multi-tool/

Wired Magazine said:
What have the Romans ever done for us? Well, it turns out that back somewhere between A.D 201 to 300, a clever Roman, probably named MacGyvericus, invented the multitool. And not just some weird, old-fashioned multitool, either. MacGyvericus’ tool is startlingly similar to the modern Swiss Army Knife, now part of the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England.

Like the common Swiss tool, the Roman version has a lot of foldaway implements stowed inside: a knife, spike, pick, fork and a spatula. Unlike the modern-day equivalent, the Roman Army Knife has a useful spoon on the end, making it likely that this iron and silver artifact, found in somewhere in the Mediterranean countries, was meant for eating with.

What it is is 100 percent awesome, and just makes me love the Romans even more. Sure, they invaded and occupied my home country and occupied it for years, but they brought with them central heating and civilization, two things that England lacked back then. When the Romans left, the country slipped back into dark times, where it became insular and xenophobic, and it remains so today. At least, though, the cold and rainy nation still has central heating and folding knives, although the latter is now used primarily by gangs of marauding teenagers as they roam the rainy twilight streets in search of old people to stab.
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Awesome!
-But don't you just hate it when you forget to rub down your multitool with tough glide, leave it in a drawer for 2000 years, come back and find that iron main blade has disintegrated? :grumpy:
 
You can get a replica of this tool from googling around the net.

Zieg
 
Last edited:
jazub said:
Awesome!
-But don't you just hate it when you forget to rub down your multitool with tough glide, leave it in a drawer for 2000 years, come back and find that iron main blade has disintegrated? :grumpy:
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Enough to ruin your whole millennium :grumpy: . Awesome find, but until you mentioned it, I hadn't realized that the shapeless mung opposite the other three implements was actually once a blade :eek: . Quite a find.
 
People far smarter than me have probably authenticated this, but I have a doubt or two that it is really 1800 years old. Did they have 3 tine forks that long ago? The ear spoon seems a curious choice to include on what is otherwise mainly an eating utensil, and I'm not sure how effective the teardrop shaped toothpick would be, but I like the reversible fork/spoon feature.
 
Mahoney said:
People far smarter than me have probably authenticated this, but I have a doubt or two that it is really 1800 years old. Did they have 3 tine forks that long ago? The ear spoon seems a curious choice to include on what is otherwise mainly an eating utensil, and I'm not sure how effective the teardrop shaped toothpick would be, but I like the reversible fork/spoon feature.
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I think what is amazing about looking at an old tool like this is considering what food/etiquette/tool necessity differences there were when the tool was made. Did the lack of our modern dentistry result in a different type of toothpick? Was there some tiny appetizer or bar snack that everybody and his mom ate, facilitating a little fork? And what in daily life required that teardrop tool? I find it to be a very interesting puzzle.
 
T. Erdelyi said:
I don't believe you can hot link to someone who's not a supporting dealer, They say non in stock anyway, you might want to remove the hotlink before a mod suggests it, just my suggestion. Personally I'm going to look around for a replica if i can find one.
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Yah, you're right about that and I know it, too. Link removed. Thanks for the dope-slap!

Zieg
 
Mahoney said:
People far smarter than me have probably authenticated this, but I have a doubt or two that it is really 1800 years old. Did they have 3 tine forks that long ago? The ear spoon seems a curious choice to include on what is otherwise mainly an eating utensil, and I'm not sure how effective the teardrop shaped toothpick would be, but I like the reversible fork/spoon feature.
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Kind of makes one wonder how much we have lost during the dark ages. And even before the Romans. Wouldn't be surprised if multitools were around before the bronze age:)
 
Bo T said:
Kind of makes one wonder how much we have lost during the dark ages. And even before the Romans. Wouldn't be surprised if multitools were around before the bronze age:)
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We lost a heck of a lot!!!

The Roman surgeons had a tool that removed cataracts from eyes that looked a lot like what modern eye surgeons use for the same surgery. Roman doctors were the first ones to actually use silver staples to close serious wounds and surgeries. Roman doctors didn't have microscopes, and didn't know about UV rays, but knew that wounds exposed to bright sunlight didn't get infected. They had flush toilets and running water in all their cities.
 
I'm in Rome for the week and was on a walk a couple of days ago when I thought of this thread. Victorinox Climber has been in my back pocket daily.

23000653061_bdd08cb3d2_h.jpg


Full circle: Vic Climber in front of Teatro di Marcello. :D
 
jazub said:
I'm in Rome for the week and was on a walk a couple of days ago when I thought of this thread. Victorinox Climber has been in my back pocket daily.

23000653061_bdd08cb3d2_h.jpg


Full circle: Vic Climber in front of Teatro di Marcello. :D
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Excellent!:thumbup::thumbup:
 
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