Maybe the 1st multi?

[Tom Hudson]

maybe this has posted here before - forgive me if it has - but i found it very interesting - dated to 200AD - dang - thats older than me

 

[Sep]

Yeah, I've seen it before although I'm not sure if it was here. Really neat. Romans were smart folks.

It's funny that this is known today as a hobo tool, but it seems to be a luxury item back then.

 

[supratentorial]

The estimated age seems to be off (see quote below) but it's an interesting historical object - whatever its age and use... eating utensil?

I would really like to know how the museum dated this thing to Roman times.

Maybe it was listed under "Romany" on ebay? Or "Rum"?

Several of the commentors to the Guardian story mentioned the eating fork as a clue the thing is relatively recent.

They were talking about post 7th century, which made me chuckle.

Post 17th is more like it.

I wonder if they noticed that little stamp that says MADE IN OCCUPIED ILLYRIA.

BRL...

The "Swiss army knife of the stone age" is maybe the oldest -- one found in Africa is estimated to be 1.5 million years old.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=672963

900,000 year old "Swiss army knife" (of the Stone Age)

Victorinox advertisement showing the evolution of the Swiss army knife

 

[Tom Hudson]

Yeah, I've seen it before although I'm not sure if it was here. Really neat. Romans were smart folks.

It's funny that this is known today as a hobo tool, but it seems to be a luxury item back then.

it appeared they had a good time while it lasted

 

[supratentorial]

Tom, Can you do engraving on the handles of a Leatherman PST? That would be pretty cool!

 

[Tom Hudson]

i engraved my leatherman & it was a total pain in the ear! like trying to cut glass - I said then, never again - but once I started I had to finish - mine is an old leathman - i have had it for ?? 20 years?? don't know about the newer one? - but i assume they are hard - :grumpy:tom

 

[GIRLYmann]

the history of the "hobo knife" (a folding knife with fork 'n spoon) sure goes back a long ways...

 

[supratentorial]

The fork/spoon part by itself sort of reminds me of the Light My Fire Spork... a friend of mine uses one to eat her lunch at work.

http://lightmyfireusa.com/spork.html

The Fitzwilliam museum lists some references on their site. It would be interesting to see if the references provide information on how the age was estimated.

http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/opacdirect/70534.html

Tom, Do you have any photos of the Leatherman that you engraved to post here? I'd love to see them. Maybe in a new topic - sorry that I took this discussion off topic.