Tool Talk

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: skipskip on November 11, 2025, 12:16:49 PM

Title: A sad rule
Post by: skipskip on November 11, 2025, 12:16:49 PM

I found this Stanley #39 folding rule last week.

Made of Ivory

sadly one part was broken years ago

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54916344912_4c76125029_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2rELC5Y)nov144 (https://flic.kr/p/2rELC5Y) by Skip Albright (https://www.flickr.com/photos/skipskip/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54916344887_fedb89e575_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2rELC5x)nov146 (https://flic.kr/p/2rELC5x) by Skip Albright (https://www.flickr.com/photos/skipskip/), on Flickr

Title: Re: A sad rule
Post by: geneg on November 11, 2025, 02:52:13 PM

Out of all of them I own, I don't have any ivory ones.  Probably my luck if I ever find 1 in the wild that it would be broken too.  No matter- it's still a great find.

Title: Re: A sad rule
Post by: Yadda on November 11, 2025, 06:57:32 PM

Neat find. 

Title: Re: A sad rule
Post by: Bill Houghton on November 13, 2025, 12:38:56 PM

I wonder what the benefit of ivory was?  Not, obviously, strength (note, though, that I've seen plenty of broken boxwood rules).  Stability?  Ease of reading?  Or just bragging rights?

Title: Re: A sad rule
Post by: skipskip on November 15, 2025, 05:59:25 PM

I have always assumed stability and a bit of bragging rights, but there may be a good reason.