Special Antique Boxwood 24 Inch Carpenter's Rule with Engraved Copper Mend railroad signals code sign without lid the basket measures

without lid the basket measures 5 1/2" across

mounted on the reverse

with a nice warm patina to the dry wood

Really sort of iconic

Individual blocks measure 2" long  per side and 5/8" thick

Special Antique Boxwood 24 Inch Carpenter's Rule with Engraved Copper Mend railroad signals code sign without lid the basket measuresThis is a real beauty of an early boxwood rule to begin with, but what makes it really special, and what won my heart, is the wrapped mend at the hinged end (done in copper I believe) that was engraved on both sides to precisely match the numbers on the wood. This tells me that this was a much used and much valued rule, and the great care taken with the repair certainly indicates that a long life for it was yet anticipated. There is no mark anywhere