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Sunday, June 23, 2019

Extreme 19th Century Multi-Tool: 100 Blades, plus A .22-Caliber Five-Shot Revolver

It pre-dates the eponymous Swiss Army knife by eleven years, and so intensely utilitarian, it's impractical. The one modern convenience it doesn’t seem to have is a bottle opener, but the bottle cap as we know it wasn’t invented until 1892.



 So what's the deal with the cutlery over-load?



From the National Museum Of American History: "This particular knife was made in Solingen, Germany about 1880 for J. S. Holler & Co.’s cutlery store in New York City. It was used it to display the fine craftsmanship available to their customers. At the time, German cutlery firms were attempting to establish themselves in the American market, which was dominated by the firms of Sheffield, England. The workmanship and complexity of this knife make it one of the finest examples of the cutlers’ art in America."

Sure. And with 5 shots, you're bound to hit that elusive rodent, or dine-n-dash punk.