Tools of the Weird: World’s Oldest Multi-Tool?

Swiss Made it Red but Romans Made it First

The photo of this tool has been the desktop wallpaper on my laptop for months now, because…well…I’m a geek like that and because this tool contains so much sheer awesome I was hoping some of it might rub off on me.

What you’re looking at is an 1800-year-old Roman army knife. Made of iron and silver, and obviously carefully hand-crafted, the tool incorporated a number of useful fold-out implements, including a spoon, fork, knife, pick and something that looks oddly like a can opener (a visionary touch, given that cans were still centuries away back in A.D. 201).

Here’s a link to the original post, courtesy of Wired.com. I’m no historian, but I have to believe this multi-tool was largely responsible for the era of Roman butt kickage.

About the author

Todd Fratzel

Todd Fratzel is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Tool Box Buzz, and the President of Front Steps Media, LLC, a web based media company focused on the Home Improvement and Construction Industry.He is also the Principal Engineer for United Construction Corp., located in Newport, NH. In his capacity at United he oversees the Residential and Commercial Building Division along with all Design-Build projects.He is also the editor of Home Construction & Improvement.

@tfratzelTodd Fratzel

All posts by Todd »

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Disclosure

Product reviews on this site contain our opinion of a product or service. We will always strive for objectivity and transparency in our reviews. Our goal is to provide readers with honest, objective information based on our own experiences. We never have and never will accept payment in exchange for a positive review. Many of the products that we review are provided to us for free by a manufacturer or retailer. In some cases, we also have advertising or affiliate relationships with manufacturers and retailers of products and services we review. For additional information please visit our additional disclosure policies.