OK Computer
It is a well-worn truism that nothing is certain except death and taxes, and certainly throughout history much effort has gone into making sure that the latter is as inescapable…
Stanley vulcanite scales
Today's post showcases a set of six W.F. Stanley vulcanite chain scales and matching offsets, something that had been on my wish list for a long time. Vulcanite (aka ebonite)…
How I gained 25 lbs and got the six-pack of my dreams!
Don't worry, this isn't another of those spam emails advertising protein shakes or the like. I'm talking weights. Ship weights. Admiralty pattern. These were the extremely heavy lead blocks (variously…
More WF Stanley catalogues online
While researching a couple of new W.F. Stanley finds this weekend, I happened upon a couple of very exciting early sources (well, exciting for me anyway) that had until now…
An unusual Napier compass
The Napier compass is a particularly compact form of multifunctional drawing instrument that became popular during the second half of the nineteenth century. It is commonly said to have been…