Vintage Wooden Folding Carpenter's Rule

This is a vintage or antique folding carpenter's rule, likely a two-foot, four-fold model based on the hinge design and visible numbering. The rule is constructed from boxwood, a material traditionally selected for its stability and fine grain. It features brass hardware, including a heavy-gauge brass round-joint hinge and brass edge bindings used to protect the ends of the wood. The scales are incised and inked in black, displaying numbers 16, 17, and 18, which suggests the scale follows standard imperial inch measurements. The wood shows a warm, aged honey-colored patina consistent with late 19th to early 20th-century production. Condition issues include significant oxidation and green verdigris on the brass components, indicating exposure to moisture. The wood surface exhibits darkening, surface grime, and slight rounding of the edges from heavy use. There is evidence of minor scarring and pitting on the brass plate near the hinge pin. While no maker's mark (such as Stanley or Lufkin) is fully visible in this view, the quality of the incised graduation lines and the robust construction of the brass hinge point toward a high-quality professional-grade tool from the industrial era.