Lufkin No. 386 Four Fold One Foot Ruler

Here is where it all begins. It is a fine thing to be able to plane square and saw straight but these skills are lost on work that is measured and laid out incorrectly.

Aldren A. Watson, Hand Tools, Their Ways and Workings, 1982


I try not to collect hand tools anymore, my tool chests are full to over flowing with wonderful antique tools that I don't necessarily need anymore, but I do have a soft spot for four fold one foot rulers.

I picked up this nice Lufkin ruler in Leadville, Colorado, on my birthday, my wife and I were on our way to Crested Butte and Kebler Pass for a short vacation.

This ruler was at the Western Hardware Antique Mall, in a case along with a gorgeous Stanley No. 1 plane ($1175) and a few other nice Stanley and Winchester tools. I picked it up so I can use it to measure the thumb to pinky length of potential customers to establish what string length will be best for them.

This unmarked one foot four fold ruler belonged to my maternal grandfather, Rufus Wilson (1880-1952), my mother told me that he always had it in the small pocket of the bib of his bib overalls. I am very grateful that she passed it along to me.

Three rulers.

A one foot two fold Stanley on the left and the four folds on the right.

How fun!