My new $3 ruler

[James Taglienti]

Picked this up at the auction yesterday... it was sitting in a flat with a paintbrush, a broken pipe wrench, two screwdrivers, and a used dust mask. EA Stearns #56B. Full German silver bound ivory ruler in very good condition. I got the jiggles when I saw it and they didn't quit until last night. The whole flat cost me $3, which I figure I can get out of the pipe wrench and the paint brush :D

My cruel wife is insisting that it be sold. I am considering hiring someone to stage a bogus sale with me so I can hide this thing under the bed.

[Jim Rimmer]

Nice find. Hang on to it somehow.

[george wilson]

That rule is worth a lot of money. You need to assert yourself. I'd never let my wife make me sell my things if they weren't crowding us out of the house,which that rule isn't.

In fact,I'd never marry someone who didn't appreciate my interests,work,and creativity. I always respect and help them with theirs.

[Bart Leetch]

I wonder if you were to put a few inexpensive items of hers & yours on a table along with something that means a lot to her that she may or may not have paid much for & your rule & tell her that these thing are going to be sold what the response would be?

To this day I have a oval pre WWI American cut glass bowl that belonged to my mother all of the cut glass artists went into the war & didn't come back. We still don't know what mother paid for the bowl.

[James Taglienti]

George, I see where you're coming from. But it's hard - i'm always coming home with outrageous finds, and I keep many of them, typically the useful ones. Last week I got to keep a Sargent 507 rabbeting block, a Preston's patent spokeshave (the nice one), an immaculate and early Stanley 65 chamfer shave, and a near mint 603. Some times I have to make a sacrifice to keep my bride happy- part of my income IS selling antique tools, after all.

It's not like she walks through the house pointing a whip at things and shouting "Sell it!" "NOW!" ... it only feels that way.

However this fact will not prevent me from showing her your post with faux tears in my eyes.

Keep the cannon fodder coming

[David Keller NC]

Nice find. Roughly speaking, it's worth about $350 so long as it has no breaks to the ivory. If it was white, roughly $450. Rules have taken a beating during the recession, but good condition ivory ones still have quite a bit of demand at the bigger tool auctions.

[James Taglienti]

unfortunately there is a crack at the 14 1/2 mark, seen in photo, but it isn't really that major and the rule isnt crooked there. im guessing the fellow had it in his pocket and leaned up against a workbench or something (like I always do with pencils). 300 at a big auction = about 210 after everything is said and done, which i'm not willing to do, i may send it to a national MWTCA meet with a friend...

[David Weaver]

Yeah, or just sell it to me for $10 and I'll use it in my shop as a rule, because that's what a quality rule costs, anyway. I'd even gross up the paypal so that $10 is $10.

:D

I could never get into the rules and levels - at all. I like a nice straight edge (a lot) for making tools, but it's not like you see "vintage perfect straight edge"

BUT, if I saw a rule like that in a box, I'd take my chances, too.

It's sort of like the reaction you get when you see george cutting a huge tusk in the williamsburg video "wait....is that real ivory?" Every time you see it in something other than piano keys or tiny figurines, it makes you drag a foot, turn around and look.

[george wilson]

Yes,it was real ivory. Pre 1972 ivory is still legal. We ordered it from England,and I've forgotten where,now. At that time you could also order from them big sheets of real tortoise shell taken off antique furniture that had been veneered in tortoise. The French did some of that. The ancient Romans also were into veneering with tortoise. They had some huge tortoises in the Mediterranean at that time. There is an ancient text referring to a boy who rowed out to a ship,using a huge tortoise shell as a row boat!

I wish I had gotten some of it at the time. I met the old gentleman who ran the company. I know he must long be dead,now.

P.S. it was Abbey Horn Works. I found a co. called Abbeyhorn,but none of the original name. They only seem to offer horn products now.

[James Taglienti]

I have very little experience with ivory except for small inlay and turned finials... it really smelled bad when I was working it, kind of like drilling teeth but it turns wonderfully. The biggest piece I've ever had was about 1x6x3/8. That was back when you could buy it on the internet auction site.

[Phil Thien]

I'd agree w/ your wife if that was a depreciating asset. It is only going to become more valuable, though. I'd hang onto it, maybe pass it onto my kids.

[Rick Markham]

James, Hang on to it, it's small enough to hide LOL... you can look at it in the dark with a dim flashlight while she is sleeping... "what are you doing?" "uh... uh... nothing! errrr... just finishing up some paperwork!" :D

I'd like to add: YOU SUCK (its required)

and that thing is purdy... I will give you at least $20 more than David lol

[David Keller NC]

unfortunately there is a crack at the 14 1/2 mark, seen in photo, but it isn't really that major and the rule isnt crooked there. im guessing the fellow had it in his pocket and leaned up against a workbench or something (like I always do with pencils). 300 at a big auction = about 210 after everything is said and done, which i'm not willing to do, i may send it to a national MWTCA meet with a friend...

Yeah, that's usually a better deal for an occasional seller. I get the feeling that people don't usually send stuff to Brown or MJD Live Free or Die auctions unless they've a big collection and negotiate a lower fee, or they're pickers that have a separate deal for regularly feeding stuff into the system.