artiFACT Collectible

Vintage Wooden Folding Ruler (4-Foot Zigzag Rule)

1920s–1960s · USA (manufacturer not clearly visible)

Estimated value: $10–$35

Wooden folding rules were essential tools in carpentry, construction, and general handwork from the 1920s through the 1960s, before steel tape measures became standard. These rules were manufactured in quantity by American tool makers—particularly Stanley, Lufkin, and Rabone—and found their way into every carpenter's pocket, toolbox, and household junk drawer, where many still remain today.

Value is most affected by brand (Stanley, Lufkin, and Rabone are most desirable), condition of the brass joints and legibility of the markings, and whether the rule folds smoothly without broken sections.

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