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+-- Thread: Unusual boxwood rule marked in eighths (/showthread.php?tid=7299622)
Unusual boxwood rule marked in eighths - kenl - 06-13-2016
I recently acquired this and have no idea who made, when it was made it or what occupation it would ave been used by. Any ideas? Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to get the Picasa pictures to load seperately they have changed something since I last used them.
https://picasaweb.google.com/111218874660036518532/6295681685816542001
Re: Unusual boxwood rule marked in eighths - Rob Young - 06-13-2016
Re: Unusual boxwood rule marked in eighths - kenl - 06-13-2016
Thanks, rob!
Re: Unusual boxwood rule marked in eighths - GNP - 06-13-2016
Probably Stanley. Yours looks straight, the one I have has warped section.
Re: Unusual boxwood rule marked in eighths - JimReed@Tallahassee - 06-13-2016
I have one that is very similar but without the depth of marking. The front is graduated in 8ths and the back is graduated in sixteenths but with numbers only for inches. Mine is marked "Keen Cutter" between the outside 7-8-9 inch marks. My guess is that it, like yours, was probably made by Stanley. Nice rule. The condition is exceptional.
Re: Unusual boxwood rule marked in eighths - kenl - 06-13-2016
I'm still puzzled as to why this rule was made this way. What trade would need to think and count in 1/8ths all the way to 192 eighths? Any ideas about the Stanley number if it is that? Keen Kutter number? Bob Kaune has lots of rare Stanley rules but I haven't seen any like this so far. I will likely move this one along but not until I have had the fun of finding out more about it. My searches have not been fruitful so far.
Re: Unusual boxwood rule marked in eighths - AHill - 06-13-2016
The eighths made the math easy if you were trying to subtract or add odd measurements. Just add or subtract the numbers. No need for the mental math for 32-5/8" minus 8-7/8". Instead, it's 261-71 = 190. Don't even need to know that 190 eighths is 23-3/4". Find the center point for 16-3/4"? On that ruler, it's 134 divided by 2, or 67 eighths (8-3/8").
Re: Unusual boxwood rule marked in eighths - Mark A Smith - 06-13-2016
I like this idea. Rob Lee where are you?
Re: Unusual boxwood rule marked in eighths - JimBelair - 06-13-2016
AHill said:
The eighths made the math easy if you were trying to subtract or add odd measurements. Just add or subtract the numbers. No need for the mental math for 32-5/8" minus 8-7/8". Instead, it's 261-71 = 190. Don't even need to know that 190 eighths is 23-3/4". Find the center point for 16-3/4"? On that ruler, it's 134 divided by 2, or 67 eighths (8-3/8").
An early idea that lost out to the metric system.
Re: Unusual boxwood rule marked in eighths - Martin S. - 06-13-2016
What an interesting idea.
Did you figure out who made it?