I recently spotted one of these turned on its side with photos in each “slot,” which looked very cool.

treasurespotter:

I have a lot of tools and some of them are thrifted. I enjoy doing handyman work, and using old tools makes it even better. There’s something wonderful about the feel of them; they’re broken in, they have the patina of age and use, and I love the thought that someone before me used them, too.

Often, people mark their tools to make sure they stay where they belong. You can see an incised “W” on the hinge.

There’s something else here, too, and that is the workmanship of this piece. You have to admire the ingenuity of design: a two foot measure that folds cleverly into six inches. It’s beautifully made, with two kinds of inlaid brass hinges and tiny pins holding it all together.

To me, there is beauty in clean and precise workmanship, no matter what the object is.