Possible civil war engineer ruler?

[DiggerKid2003]

Found this at the same site I got my Virginia button last week. It was about 2 inches deep and still has 75% of the wood on it. I have no idea if it could be civil war since the wood hasn't rotted away so hopefully you guys can help.

 

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[HuntinDog]

I would say you already your answer.

 

[50bmg]

they still make and sell those rulers today

 

[DiggerKid2003]

Welp thanks for the feedback. Was kind of hoping it would be old but it's interesting anyway.

 

[Bridge End Farm]

Nice find congrats

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Diggerkid2003, don't be too disappointed. Although that version of "Engineer's Folding Rule(r) is still being manufactured today, it COULD be from the civil war era. There's just no way to know its time-period with full 100% certainty. I should mention two noteworthy points about it:
1- Due to the popularity of spring-loading retracting pocket tape-measures in the 20th Century, that old type of BRASS-BODIED folding ruler is much more likely to be from the 1800s than the 1900s.
2- In the right soil chemistry conditions, I've seen 100-to-200-year old organic material (such as cloth or wood or leather) which is in direct contact with brass be amazingly well preserved. Example are brass buttons with some cloth still remaining on the button's back, and solid-cast brass buckles with leather preserved around the belt-books.

 

[Dirtminer]

I have one of those. wood with brass except mine is not as old as yours.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

It's a really neat find... Are there any markings on the hinge?

 

[DiggerKid2003]

As far as we can tell there are no markings on the brass.

 

[Possum]

Very nice find!!! "D"

 

[Duckshot]

As far as we can tell there are no markings on the brass.

There wouldn't be any. The makers mark and model number would have been stamped on the wood. Like this one-

Look closely at the above rule and you can see it is a No. 30 by H. Chapin as stamped between the nine and ten inch marks. This one might have been made around 1880-1900.

 

[Duckshot]

I would say you already your answer.

They make folding rules still but nobody makes a four fold or brass bound rule anymore that I could find. If someone does, I bet it is frighteningly expensive

 

[50bmg]

They make folding rules still but nobody makes a four fold or brass bound rule anymore that I could find. If someone does, I bet it is frighteningly expensive

https://www.garrettwade.com/36-in-four-fold-rule.html?SCID=W4011000&mkwid=[distribution]HepT806L&crid=[creative_id]&mp_kw=[keyword_text]&mp_mt=&pdv=c&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu-fD2ozi2QIVGI7ICh3nPQ2QEAkYDyABEgLB3vD_BwE

 

[Duckshot]

Nice!

At about a dollar an inch they cost half as much as I would have guessed. That's a three footer or I'd pick one up. Nine inches looks funny sticking out of a shirt pocket.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

The modern-era one at the link posted by 50bmg has a (single) brass hinge-body, but it doesn't have the brass "frame" (brass-bound) around the wood like we see on the one found by DiggerKid2003. Being brass-bound would make it significantly more expensive to mnufacture. So, I still think DiggerKid's find is more likely to be from the 1800s than the 1900s. Of course that doesn't mean it's defiitely from the civil war... but the brass frame and being found near a civil war Virginia State Seal button at least gives it more than just a slight possibility of being a civil war one.

 

[Duckshot]

Yeah it could be civil war era. H. Chapin started making rules in 1835. They then became Chapin and Sons in about 1860 and in 1901 they were bought out by Stevens to become Chapin-Stevens.

DiggerKid2003, you might get a clue as to the manufacturer or date of manufacture by the number of pins in the edges, the style of pivot, or the style of hinges. It'll take a lot of research, good luck.

 

[50bmg]

The modern-era one at the link posted by 50bmg has a (single) brass hinge-body, but it doesn't have the brass "frame" (brass-bound) around the wood like we see on the one found by DiggerKid2003. Being brass-bound would make it significantly more expensive to mnufacture. So, I still think DiggerKid's find is more likely to be from the 1800s than the 1900s. Of course that doesn't mean it's defiitely from the civil war... but the brass frame and being found near a civil war Virginia State Seal button at least gives it more than just a slight possibility of being a civil war one.

I only posted that because someone said they don't make 4 fold rulers anymore that was form a 30 second search on Google. I'm sure I could find the same one the op posted if I try
I have seen the same ones before and they were in too good of condition to have any more than 50 years on them

 

[Duckshot]

I only posted that because someone said they don't make 4 fold rulers anymore that was form a 30 second search on Google. I'm sure I could find the same one the op posted if I try
I have seen the same ones before and they were in too good of condition to have any more than 50 years on them

I typed in "brass bound four fold rule new" and all that came up were antiques. Have at it though, I'm in the market for a two-footer.

Edit- Garrett-Wade sells refurbished antique ones for about $65. I'll bet a modern manufactured one is a hundred bucks.

 

[DiggerKid2003]

Wow this is getting a lot more feedback then I thought it would. Thanks everyone and I guess it's time to sit back and do more research.

 

[50bmg]

I typed in "brass bound four fold rule new" and all that came up were antiques. Have at it though, I'm in the market for a two-footer.

Edit- Garrett-Wade sells refurbished antique ones for about $65. I'll bet a modern manufactured one is a hundred bucks.

https://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_nkw=24+inch+folding+ruler
bunch of old ones for sale prices are all over the place
https://www.etsy.com/market/folding_wood_ruler
more older ones
I know I have seen new ones just recently in a store I frequent