Old Black Powder Multi-Tool

[Stonehouse john]

I found this interesting old B P combination-tool and thought I'd share it and see if anyone here knew any details about it.  It combines a mainspring vise, turn-screw, nipple wrench (in the end of the L-shaped handle), integrally cast oil bottle, and pinpoint oiler that can serve double duty as a vent/nipple-pick.  It's marked "W Gibsons patent" and every component of it is individually stamped with the number 73.  Has a sturdy, military-issue feel to it but the nipple wrench seems a bit small for the big old military musket-cap nipples.  Any thoughts? 

John

[R.I.J.]

I can not offer any input other than a great well thought out design.
 

[Marcruger]

Any thoughts?  Yep.  It looks like something Dave Crisalli could reproduce and turn into one of his usual jewel-like creations. 

[Stonehouse john]

HaHa, that's just what I was thinking! 
SOMEONE should reproduce this thing.  It is such a great design.  I'm a little hesitant to use it and possibly lose it but it's pretty tempting because it's such a handy, complete little package.

[Dave Marsh]

Might have been made by Dave Crisali's great grandfather!!!   

[Panzerschwein]

What era?

[Clark Badgett]

What era?

Obviously percussion. I would hazard a guess of mid 1850s-60s.

[heinz]

I think that is a 20th century product

[Stonehouse john]

I think that is a 20th century product

Was there still enough black powder usage into the 20th century to make it practical for a company to patent, produce and sell new tools for caplock firearms?  I'd have thought that by then black powder accessories would have been sellin' slower than buggy-whips.

[heinz]

John, there was a lot of activity in the 50s and 60s in black powder shooting.  Dixie Gun Works was making and marketing black powder accoutrements. Bob Tingle had a whole line of firearms with coil spring locks.  Applying for a patent is not a major output and there is a question if there actually is a patent.
Did you look it up on the Patent office site?

[Stonehouse john]

Thanks Heinz.  No, it hadn't occurred to me to search for the patent.  Judging by when and where I found it I'd guess that it was already a long-forgotten artifact in my granddad's barn by the time the 1950's rolled around, but when I get the chance I'll try and see if there's anything to be found from the patent records. 
I kind of hope it's not a nice old antique, then I can use it without worrying about it!

Thanks,
John

[heinz]

John, I searched and cannot find a paten

[Stonehouse john]

Heinz thank you for doing that search!   I hadn't figured out how to do that yet, I've never searched for a patent before and the patent website is a bit daunting for a first-timer.  I've done internet image-searches every way I can think of and haven't been able to find anything exactly like it.  Closest thing I've seen is this one that was listed on an Australian auction site a few years back; similar nipple wrench and turnscrew locations anyway. 

I guess some mysteries are not easily solved.

- John

[Spotted Bull]

Is there any other writing or printing on the piece, other than what is shown above?

[Stonehouse john]

Spotted Bull,

Nope.  Nothing else that I can see.  A date or something would have been nice but no such luck.

- John

[Shreckmeister]

I searched US patents for the following gibsons and did not find it.  William, Walter, Wesley, Warren, Wade.  You might check english patents.

[Dennis Glazener]

I am locking this thread pending removal later. It looks to me to be breech loader related therefore not allowed by our rules. Of course I may be wrong and that's why I am holding off on removing. If I find it to be ML related I will remove the lock. PM me if you think its ML related.

I just un-locked the thread, John uses it to pull nipples on percussion rifles so maybe it is for a ML.
Dennis

[OLUT]

I am locking this thread pending removal later. It looks to me to be breech loader related therefore not allowed by our rules. Of course I may be wrong and that's why I am holding off on removing. If I find it to be ML related I will remove the lock. PM me if you think its ML related.

I just un-locked the thread, John uses it to pull nipples on percussion rifles so maybe it is for a ML.
Dennis

DENNIS,THIS IS LIFTED FROM ANOTHER FORUM; PLEASE DELETE IF INAPPROPRIATE

[heinz]

Nice work OLUT!

If it is for a P1853 rifle, that is an English rifle and the Patent would be English.  I did not look at British patents.  I do not know how tho access that database.

[Clark Badgett]

Nice work OLUT!

If it is for a P1853 rifle, that is an English rifle and the Patent would be English.  I did not look at British patents.  I do not know how tho access that database.

While I won't rule out that it could be English, I will say I've never this type of tool associated with the P53 family of arms. Then again, I have not seen everything on that subject.

[Stonehouse john]

Thank you all for searching and finding out so much info.  OLUT, you've definitely found my piece's double-screwdriver twin brother!  Sounds like it may not have been govt. issue but perhaps English patents are worth a look if I can figure out how to do that.    Does anyone here have enough experience with the P1853 Enfield to know what cap/nipple size it uses?  I'm sure it probably has the standard big square musket-nipple?  The wrench on mine perfectly fits a no.11 cap nipple and is slotted to fit that type.  Hard to tell for sure but that photo from the other post doesn't seem to show a slot in the wrench.  Perhaps the different model number on mine designates a tool for sporting arms rather than the square-musket-cap version?

John




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