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Item Description
Model engraving: No. 65½ - Attributed manufacturer: Stanley Rule & Level Co.
- Overall extended length: 12 inches / 1 foot
- Construction: Four-fold
- Width: Approximately 5/8 inch
- Wood: Boxwood
- Metalwork: Full brass edge binding and brass hinges
- Joint construction: Square joint
- Graduations: Eighths and sixteenths of an inch
- Alignment hardware: Three brass steady pins with corresponding receiving holes
- Manufacturer\'s trademark: None visible
- Finish: Original naturally aged wood and brass patina
- Restoration: None performed
A Bit of History
Early Stanley Attribution & Marking History
A distinguishing feature of this antique rule is its old-style serif No. 65½ model engraving, positioned between the 4-inch and 5-inch graduations. The engraved N includes a small, separate mark beneath and slightly to its left. The meaning of this mark has not been established.
In Chapter 3 of Boxwood & Ivory, Philip E. Stanley documents a historical change in factory markings: sometime between 1879 and 1898, Stanley began adding the STANLEY name beside the model number on the outside of boxwood rules. Earlier examples could have different arrangements of model numbers and manufacturer markings, including identification near the inside main joint.
Why Might an Early Rule Lack a Stanley Trademark?
Three Original-Style Brass Alignment Pins
Original Condition & Collector Appeal
No attempt has been made to clean away the patina, polish the brass, refinish the wood, or alter the engraving.
Historical Research References
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