Antique Rabone 2ft Box Wood & Brass Folding Ruler

This beautiful rule is an Antique Rabone 2ft Box Wood & Brass Folding Ruler. Folds into half (30cm/12") via a brass hinge, which also acts as a mini-protractor at 45, 60 and 90º angles, and is scaled in inches. It also has square and line measurements, and an arch joint with brass pin holes to hold the two halves together.

Unlike most vintage Rabone rulers, it doesn't appear to have a number and I don't recognise the pattern, but it is marked:

J Rabone & Sons, England, Warranted Best Boxwood

A much loved and well used 24 inch ruler with a few scuffs, scratches and stains: it has quite a dark patina making some of the numbers hard to read. Dates to the late 19th/early 20th century.

It was made in England by John Rabone and sons, of Hockley Abbey Works, Whitmore Street, Birmingham. A manufacturer of high quality spirit levels, rules and rulers which was established in the 1700s by Michael Rabone. 

NB: the photos have been taken with and without flash. The colour is darker than appears in most of the images.

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