Visited an old hardware store and saw something I haven't touched in years

I stopped by Nelson's Ace Hardware downtown last weekend, the one that's been there since the 50s. They still had a whole rack of those wooden folding rulers, the 6-foot ones with the brass joints. I used to borrow my dad's every time I measured for shelving or trim until I switched to a tape measure maybe 10 years ago. Has anyone else gone back to old tools like that for a project, or is it just nostalgia talking?

3 comments

3 Comments

marybutler9d ago

Nah, those wooden rulers are bulky and impractical, I'd rather just use my phone's measuring app or a cheap tape measure and be done in half the time lmao. They look cool on a shelf but that's about it for actual work.

daniel_cooper349d ago

Haha, I tried using my dad's old wooden ruler last week and somehow managed to whack myself in the face with it.

betty_perry249d agoTop Commenter

Honestly, I used to totally agree with you on that... I thought wooden rulers were just for show and way too clunky. But then I had to measure something last week and my phone battery died, and that old wooden ruler was the only thing around. It actually worked fine for a straight edge, and I didn't have to fiddle with any apps or deal with a flimsy tape measure that keeps curling up. It's still not my go-to, but I get why some folks swear by them now... they're just always there when you need one, no batteries required.