Prototype fence tool combination?

[Plyerman]

I'm pretty excited about this combination-contraption I bought in York from Jim P. It looks like somebody was trying to improve the mousetrap and come up with a better combination fencing tool. The various parts and pieces all have a "home made" look about them. Portions of the handles were bent into shape and then filled with weld, the hammer head is a square block of steel welded into place, the stirrup on the hatchet head is welded and ground, etc. All in all a fair job of fabricating, but clearly not a "factory" job. I'm assuming it is a one-off prototype that some backyard inventor came up with many years ago.

The most unique feature is the wire cutter, located just below the hammer and hatchet area. The lower jaw of the wire cutter is on a rack of gear teeth, which engages gears on the handle pivots. So when you squeeze the handles together the wire cutter jaw is driven upwards and cuts the wire. Relaxing your grip on the handles allows them to spread apart, which in turn opens the wire cutter.   

[Plyerman]

The entire hatchet head is removable. It is attached with a homemade thumb screw/bolt. Once out of the way you now have access to a nail puller claw.

[Plyerman]

But wait, that's not all! At the end of each handle there is a wingnut, which holds a slotted double-ended bit. One bit has an alligator wrench and an awl. The other bit is two different sizes of screwdriver blades.

Note that the screwdriver bit is completely blocked in by the handle latch. There is no way to extend the screwdrivers out to use them. A design flaw for sure, that no doubt would have been addressed in the "production" versions. (Had there ever been any.)

There are no markings on the tool, and Jim knew nothing about its history. I've never seen a patent drawing that resembles it either. But maybe one will turn up someday?

[Yadda]

Wow Bob!  You find the most wonderful toys!

[Lewill2]

Great find, I didn't see that in Jim's stuff.