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Before continuing the history of Stanley Zig-Zag rules, it must not be forgotten that the Stanley company was (and remains) the world's largest tool manufacturer. Its markets were not solely in the United States and Canada but were found throughout the world. To meet the demands of foreign countries, especially those countries using different units of measurement, Stanley manufactured rules specifically for those markets. To that end, Part IV of this series will examine those different types of Zig-Zag rules.
Folding rules made with metric measurements (boxwood two- and four-fold rules) were manufactured by Stanley as early as the 1860s. When Stanley began to manufacture Zig-Zag rules in 1899, it was only natural that the company should consider making metric models available. Stanley first offered in 1901 a metric Zig-Zag that had concealed joints and orange enamel sticks. Designated model no. 04M, it was a basic model no. 04, an early Stanley Zig-Zag four-foot rule, but with inches on the outside and metric measurements on the inside (Figures 1 and 2).
By 1902, Stanley had started manufacturing a Zig-Zag rule with white enamel, model no. 104. This rule was exactly like the no. 04 model except for the white enamel color. Stanley then began offering these rules in metric measurement as no. 104M.
By 1908, two more metric rules were added to the line. With these new rules the only difference from the older models was the use of the less expensive rivet joints instead of a concealed joint.1 The rivet, however, came through the surface, making it harder to read the scale. These four-foot metric/English Zig-Zag rules were designated no. 404M for the yellow enamel and 504M for the white enamel.
By 1911, Stanley had expanded its metric/English line of rules to include four different length rules with both concealed joints and rivetjoints, available in white or orange enamel. The orange enamel, concealed joint rules came in four sixes, 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-foot lengths numbered 03M, 04M, 05M, and 06M, respectively (Figure 3). Likewise, numbers 103M, 104M, 105M, and 106M, respectively, were for the concealed joint white enamel rules. Stanley made these same lengths (3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-fbot) available with rivet joint Zig-Zags. These were designated nos. 803M, 804M, 805M and...