About Rulers

Stearns Rulers:

The line of rules offered by E.A. Stearns & Co. before 1856, when E.A. Stearns himself was operating the company, different significantly from the line offered ater 1856, under the proprietorship of Charles L. Mead, and later the Stanley Rule and Level Co. The two lines differed both in the patters of rules offered, and the system of numbers assigned to the rules. (Source: A Rule Concordance and Value Guide.)

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Chapin Rulers, Stephens, Chapin-Stephens:

1826-1851, Chapin

In 1826, the Chapin firm was originally established by Hermon Chapin (1799 – 1866) at Pine Meadow, a district in the southern part of New Hartford, with Daniel Copeland . In 1828, Chapin purchased Copeland’s interest, and established the Union Factory under his sole proprietorship, producing a complete line of wooden planes.

In 1835, rules were added, whereby Delos H. Stephens learned his trade. In 1854 he established the D H Stephens & Co., continuing to furnish some rules to the Chapin firm. In 1861, he was succeeded by his son, Frank, as L C Stephens & Co. In 1864, this firm moved to Riverton.

1860-1897, H Chapin & Sons, and variants

In 1851, Edward M Chapin became superintendent of his father’s firm. In 1860, the sons of Hermon (Edward M, George W, and Philip E) formed as H Chapin & Sons. In 1866, E M Chapin and G W Chapin assumed ownership, changing the name to H Chapin’s Sons. In 1868, George sold his interest to Edward, who continued the firm as H Chapin’s Son until his death in 1897.

1897-1901, H Chapin’s Sons & Co.

His sons (Hermon M and Frank) then formed a joint stock company with Rufus E Holmes of Winsted as President. This company was known as H Chapin’s Son & Co.

1901-1929, Chapin – Stevens

In 1901, this merged into Chapin – Stevens. Mr. Holmes continued as President, H. M. Chapin as Vice-President, Frank Chapin as Treasurer, and L C Stephens as Secretary. After 1908, and the death of Mr. Holmes, Frank Chapin became President. The firm reorganized in 1927, and dissolved in 1929. Stanley Rule and Level Co of New Britain acquired the line of rules, but did not continue making the wooden planes, which were abandoned.

Sources: http://theclampguy.info/hist_ch.htm and a documentary written in February 1975 by Ken Roberts in the foreword of his republication of Catalog 114. He credits Mrs C Edwin Blake, great-granddaughter of Hermon Chapin, Mrs Mettie Wright Adams, former Editor of Lure of the Litchfield Hills, The Connecticut State Library, and the Connecticut Historical Society.

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Belcher Bros Rulers:

In 1860 “Belcher Brothers and Company Catalogue”, a Ken Roberts’ reprint, describes Thomas Belcher at 145 Division Street in the 1822 New York Directory, rulermaker. The 1860 catalogue state “1821″.

Roberts reports that Thomas Belcher’s brother William joined the firm in 1825 forming T. & W. Belcher at 141 Milbury Street later moving in 1832 to Water Street and operating as Belcher Brothers.

In 1840 the business was at Platt Street and in 1851 moved again to 271 Pearl Street. Roberts reports that the sons joined in 1853 and the firm was then named Belcher Brothers & Company.

Alexander Farnham in his book “Early Tools of New Jersey and the Men Who Made Them” suggests the factory was moved to New Jersey about 1843 leaving the sales office in New York City.

Ken Roberts’ reprinted catalogue lists William Belcher at 233 Pearl Street, New York City as the sole sales representative for Belcher Brothers & Company.

Roberts reports that Belcher Bros & Co. continued making rules until 1877 and that William Belcher continued to sell them until 1880 at 89 Chambers Street, New York City.

Source: http://pactu.com/makers.htm#S

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Standard Rulers:

The Cowles Paper Company began the manufacturee of wrapping paper in 1866. In 1870 the Delaney and Munson Manufacturing Copmany was located in the village, and began the manufactue of collar and book paper. This company bought out the factory of Ditson, Pond and Co, who in 1866 had begun the manufacture of flutes.

In 1864 the new turning shop was built by the estate of James Cowles, for John N. Bunnell. Mr. Bunnell did not succeed in the enterprise and in 1872 the Standard Rule Company was organized for the manufacture of rules and levels.

Source: “The Memorial History of Hartford County Connecticut 1633-1884″ , J Hammond Trumbull and http://books.google.com/books?id=8Harebj1BxkC&pg=PA202&lpg=PA202&dq=%22standard+rule+company%22+%2B+history&source=bl&ots=MyHzyi84w3&sig=tR7ibWNdmyY-cOEzZ7lalbmXz48&hl=en&ei=EBvwS_e5LMH58Aactdz9Cg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=standard&f=false

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Upson Nut Rulers:

In 1864 the Union Nut Company (of late changed to the Upson Nut Company) was formed, with Andrew S. Upson as president.

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Lufkin Rulers:

The history of hardwood rule manufacturing at Skowhegan Wooden Rule Co., Inc. actually began in 1869, when E.T. Lufkin founded the E. T. Lufkin Board and Log Rule Company in Cleveland, Ohio, and began manufacturing operations there. In 1883, the Lufkin Company expanded and moved to Saginaw, Michigan. During the decades that followed, Lufkin added steel and woven measuring tapes, various metal and wooden folding rules, miscellaneous specialty rules, dial indicators, and electronic measuring equipment to their original line of hardwood rules, becoming the largest manufacturer of linear measuring devices in the world.

In 1951, Lufkin purchased the Anson Stick Company in North Anson, Maine, to satisfy its desire to locate operations near the best sources of raw material for its products. The Hard Maple harvested in Maine’s northern forests was considered superior and by the late 1960’s, Lufkin had consolidated all wooden rule manufacturing operations there.

In 1967, the Lufkin Company was purchased by Cooper Industries and added to the Cooper Hand Tools Division. Cooper marketed folding wooden rules as mass market items but viewed the original E.T. Lufkin product line of flatwood rules, lip rules, and “L” squares as industrial items and offered them through their catalogue only to industrial distributors and users

By 1998, Cooper had moved the printing, assembly, and packaging of folding rules to its main facility in Apex, North Carolina. Lack of broad market exposure and industry shifts had gradually reduced the demand for flatwood rules, lip rules, and “L” squares to minimal levels. At that point, Cooper decided to sell the Anson plant and to discontinue the manufacture, promotion, and support of Lufkin’s original lines.

The Meisner family purchased the Anson plant from Cooper Industries in 1999, primarily to obtain the sawmill and kilns to produce wood for other manufacturing facilities in Maine. Included in the sale was all of the equipment and the process instructions required to produce the discontinued Lufkin products. On the day the sale was finalized and in the weeks that followed, we were contacted by a number of distributors and industrial customers and asked to continue to manufacture flatwood rules, lip rules, and “L” squares. Demand appeared small but consistent. The family gradually rebuilt the rule manufacturing and the Skowhegan Wooden Rule Co. Inc., was formed to promote and market these products.

Since 1999 they have been able to re-employ some of the skilled local workers who had spent generations crafting these products.

Source: http://www.skowheganwoodenrule.com/history.htm

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Stanley Rulers:

The Directory of American Toolmakers (1999) states that “the Stanley family had been making hardware in New Britain from 1831 on; they used a series of other names before they became the Stanley Works in 1852. In 1854, brothers August and Timothy Stanley and Thomas Conklin (an earlier rule maker in Bristol, CT) formed [the August Stanley & Co.] …concurrently, they acquired the rule business of Seth Savage, Middletown, CT. In 1857, this company merged with Hall & Knapp as the Stanley Rule and Level Co.” (pg. 748).

DATM continues on page 749 to state that Henry Stanley was the first president of Stanley Rule & Level Co. Henry was concurrently the president of the Stanley Works, a maker of hardware, which maintained a separate corporate identity from Stanley Rule & Level Co. until 1920 when they merged. “The S. R. & L. Co. continued to expand its product line by acquiring other companies making tools they wanted to add and to expand their market volume by acquiring competitive companies. Their major pre-1900 acquisitions were:”

Hill & Crum, Unionville, CT
Charles L. Mead (successor to E.A. Stearns & Co.), 1863
Bailey, Cheney & Co., 1869
Leonard Bailey & Co., 1878
Bailey Wringing Machine Co., 1880
R.H. Mitchell & Co., 1871
Upston (Upson?) Nut Co., 1893

DATM (1999) indicates the famous and prolific Atha Tool Co. may have been producing tools as early as 1875 in Newark, NJ. Buying out many competing tool and hammer makers, they were themselves purchased by the Stanley Rule & Level Co. in 1913, who retained their touchmark.

The following history is excerpted from a 1937 Tool Talks publication by Stanley Tool:

The manufacture of “Bailey” Planes by Stanley marked a turning point in the Company’s history. Other hand tools were soon added to the Stanley line-Mitre Boxes, Screw Drivers, Wood and Iron Levels, Bit Braces, Hand Drills, Hammers, Try Squares. With these new tools, The Stanley Rule & Level Co. produced the most complete line of woodworking tools in the world.

Stanley’s dominant position was recognized by carpenters and mechanics everywhere who turned over their problems and suggestions to the Company. This created a demand for specialized tools to perform certain jobs better than they could be done with regular size or style tools. Stanley responded by increasing its line to still greater proportions to include many more hand tools that helped craftsmen do better work. A search of the U. S. Patent Office would undoubtedly disclose that The Stanley Rule & Level Co. took out more patents during this period than any other industrial organization in the country.

NEW COMPANIES ANNEXED
In the early years of this century the march of progress continued. In 1904 the George E. Wood Company, of Plantsville, Conn., manufacturers of “Hurwood” Screw Drivers was bought. The business was enlarged under Stanley leadership and Stanley “Hurwood” Screw Drivers became the biggest selling quality drivers in the world.

Two other companies were purchased in 1913 and 1916. The products of these companies, Atha Tool Co., of Newark, N. J., and The Eagle Square Manufacturing Co., South Shaftsbury, Vt., brought handled hammers, sledges, wedges, anvil tools and carpenters’ steel squares to the Stanley line. Today both these plants are busy producing hand tools as branch plants of the Stanley organization.

To maintain leadership in the Canadian market, a tool plant was opened by Stanley at Roxton Pond, Quebec in 1906. Known in Canada as the Stanley Tool Company, Ltd., the Roxton Pond factory now makes 80 per cent of all the Stanley Tools sold in Canada.

In 1920 The Stanley Rule & Level Co., for many years a full-grown organization merged with another New Britain firm, The Stanley Works.

Source: http://www.davistownmuseum.org/bioStanley.htm and Nelson, Robert E., Ed. (1999). Directory of American Toolmakers: A listing of identified makers of tools who worked in Canada and the United States before 1900. Early American Industries Association.