Mess gear was usually supplied to soldiers through the recruiting agencies and takes a number of forms, usually all cheap. A soldier or his loved ones might suppose he needed something better and combination sets like this promised convenience, keeping implements together, and also avoiding poking holes in one’s haversack with loose, separate forks and knives. These were made by a number of firms and popular after the war as well, so we broadly date this one only “of the period.” It is marked with a diamond a “7” inside a horizontal diamond, and also “Wyeth’s Warranted,” which we gather shows up on cutlery and pocket knives also. We don’t know the maker’s exact dates, but one auction listing confidently asserts they started selling knives in 1860 in St. Joseph, Missouri under “Wyeth’s Hardware and Manufacturing Company,” though, of course, the company was likely in business for years thereafter.

This is a nice example of the type in any case, using wood slab grips on a metal frame, one half of which houses a folding knife and the other a folding spoon and fork. We note the two-tined fork also has a bottle or can opener at its base, suggesting a late date.  [sr] [ph:L]

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