And that was thanks, in no small part, to Victorinox - the company responsible for the creation of the Swiss Army Knife - and their long-time rivals, Wenger. While versions of multi-tools may have popped up here and there throughout history, it wouldn't be until late into the 1800s - nearly two millennia after the creation of the Roman folding utensil set - that they would emerge from obscurity to become more than just novel contraptions.
As far as anyone can tell, this is the oldest example of a multi-tool. A rudimentary iron and silver folding tool from around 200-300 CE was discovered somewhere in the Mediterranean region that features a spoon, fork, spatula, spike, pick, and knife - probably the property of someone relatively well-off, judging by the materials out of which it was constructed. in the north to Ethiopia in the south - covering an area of about 1.7 million square miles. Traversing an expanse of land that large is a feat in and of itself, but - if you were to head out on some kind of extended vacation through what is now Europe - it would be even harder to do whilst carrying with you the kinds of utensils necessary to lend you the creature comforts of everyday life - such as knives, forks, and spoons.Īpparently, some intrepid Roman traveler thought differently and was not willing to give up their eating utensils, but was also not willing to lug around a more traditional set. Ancient UtilityĪt its height, the Roman Empire stretched from Portugal in the west to the Persian Gulf in the east and from the U.K. So we've done the grunt work to piece that story together. What you may not know, however, is that the story of the multi-tool dates back to the time of the Romans. Many of you who are familiar with EDC already know this. Smaller multi-tools can fit on your keychain for added portability and many of them feature a multitude of functions that come in handy in the case that you need a quick and easy fix - such as rulers, box cutters, pry bars, wrenches, drivers, etc. They're great in the day-to-day, as well. For instance, if you are going on a multi-day backpacking expedition, you might need some devices to help you along the way, but it wouldn't be wise to add an extra 50 pounds of steel to your pack. They are not intended to be a complete replacement for your average toolbox, but rather a handy substitute when a larger and more cumbersome set of tools is not reasonable to have. To be clear, you should not throw out your grandfather's toolbox if you decide to pick up a multi-tool. Multi-tools are vastly useful devices which are purposed to, in a pinch, replace a more traditional set of tools.
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