What is this used for?

[cyten]

Hello all, I have been looking for answer to this for sometime and decided to reach out to the general muzzleloading community for some speculation. These are traditional mutli tools used by mountain men of the Caucasus and Cossacks. One of the known uses was that of a screwdriver for their miquelet/flintlock rifles and pistols, the other is a flint knapper (the thin protruding part). A Circassian blacksmith told me that the design with one long slot is used to smooth out any nicks in your dagger or saber. These were hung from the belt and sometimes integrated into the belt as an attached piece. By far the most common design is that of the 2 slots one round hole in the middle, and I cannot figure out what they could be utilized for? I suppose it has something to do with lock maintenance or repair, but would love some of your inputs as shooters.

The form was used all the way into the adoption of unmentionables, here is an excerpt from a Russian 1884 soldiers rifle instruction booklet

And from a cased rifle from 1876

 

[cyten]

Period photos of them

The locks they would be used on/with

And whatever they are, they were so important that they were often marked on the headstones of their owners graves

 

[64Springer]

An assortment of wedges to fix the short arbor conditions that the reproduction cap n ball world is currently dealing with.

 

[Felonious]

An assortment of wedges to fix the short arbor conditions that the reproduction cap n ball world is currently dealing with.

I keep seeing things about a short arbor, but know absolutely nothing about what that is. I'd like to get a C&B pistol at some point, and want to know what to look out for.

If you don't mind, could you explain what that means, or send a link that does? I tried Google, but the terms are so vague I'm not getting great results.

 

[64Springer]

I keep seeing things about a short arbor, but know absolutely nothing about what that is. I'd like to get a C&B pistol at some point, and want to know what to look out for.

If you don't mind, could you explain what that means, or send a link that does? I tried Google, but the terms are so vague I'm not getting great results.

Type Short Arbor into the search function.

It's being talked about as I type this.

I think it's up to 9 pages now.

 

[PhDBrewer]

Now back to our regularly scheduled program...
I am curious also. Taking out dings in blades "seems" plausible. However, that can be done other ways.. But why the center bole? The way they are attached to the belt does not allow the to be used very far from the belt. Maybe the slot was also used to help tighten the flint screw?
William

 

[Rancocas]

Purely speculation on my part --- could the round hole be used to straighten a ramrod?
As for the slots, I was thinking it might fit over the tang and be used as a breech plug wrench. Or, maybe the slots are simply for decoration and to reduce weight.
Flint knapper and screwdriver, I get.
They certainly appear to be a common item in that part of the world, and I sure would like to know their correct purpose.

 

[cyten]

Now back to our regularly scheduled program...
I am curious also. Taking out dings in blades "seems" plausible. However, that can be done other ways.. But why the center bole? The way they are attached to the belt does not allow the to be used very far from the belt. Maybe the slot was also used to help tighten the flint screw?
William

I can see how the flint knapping hammer part could be used to tighten the flint screw.

Purely speculation on my part --- could the round hole be used to straighten a ramrod?
As for the slots, I was thinking it might fit over the tang and be used as a breech plug wrench. Or, maybe the slots are simply for decoration and to reduce weight.
Flint knapper and screwdriver, I get.
They certainly appear to be a common item in that part of the world, and I sure would like to know their correct purpose.

I like the idea of being able to straighten the ramrod but most of the holes are too small to fit the circumference of one. A breechplug wrench is an interesting idea, this is why I posed the question here, to get those out of the box speculations!

 

[Tumbledown]

Turnscrew/knapper/firestrike? The slots and holes may serve no other purpose than rudimentary demonstrations of a blacksmith's ability to add decorative elements while making a tool with a minimum of materials. Notice some the elaborately detailed ones don't have any such holes, although they may be more for dress uniform badges/insignia than actual tools.

I suspect the tool from the cased rifle has no direct connection, other than being made in a form that is historically symbolic in their culture.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Notice some the elaborately detailed ones don't have any such holes, although they may be more for dress uniform badges/insignia than actual tools.

True, but even the ones that are obviously machine produced have the holes, and they appear in one of two places or both places, which does suggest an actual function, and a commonly found function. The more elaborate tools may be for different guns that do not require that function. The elaborate and highly decorated examples may be for higher ranking persons with different arms.

LD

 

[Tumbledown]

True, but even the ones that are obviously machine produced have the holes, and they appear in one of two places or both places, which does suggest an actual function, and a commonly found function. The more elaborate tools may be for different guns that do not require that function. The elaborate and highly decorated examples may be for higher ranking persons with different arms.

LD

Machine stamping doesn't mean the holes have a use. Structural strength while saving on materials is still a valid possibility, and given the differences in overall layout of those holes, it seems lees likely they have a specific function as a tool.

 

[cyten]

As time went on, they seem to have lost purpose and were just ornamental, such as the one on the red belt. However, the design has been around since at least the 18th century.

 

[peserey]

A small hammer for shaping flint, a screwdriver and a camping fire starter. The other sections have no direct purpose other than to lighten the material. Until recently it was an integral part of arches, but the ones that are overly ornate in the photographs are actually not functional. They are belt ornaments made of silver and were mostly made after the 1880s and 1890s. Functional ones were of course made of steel. Notches on swords and daggers were also smoothed with the hammer part. Its Circassian name is "Shte".