verktum hultapors

[Rob Platt]

I have a 2 metre folding rule, Verktum Hultapors, it folds into ten sections and is accurately 2000mm long. It is also 80 3/4 inches long according to the corresponding measurements making it basically 2 inches longer than it should be.
Does anyone know why?
all the best
rob

 

[AndyT]

That's odd. I have one too, which is quite recent, and I think probably the same make:

- no problems there.

Checking a little bit further, I think your rule might be older. This extract from Wikipedia could be the explanation:

In Sweden, between 1855 to 1863, the existing Swedish "working inch" of ≈24.74 mm was replaced by a "decimal inch" of ≈29.69 mm which was one tenth of the Swedish foot. Proponents argued that a decimal system simplifies calculations. However, having two different Swedish inch measures (and the English inch on top of that) proved to be complicated. So in a transition period between 1878 and 1889 the metric units were introduced as the overall standard measures. However, the various inches survived some time in building and construction trades.

 

[Rob Platt]

hi andy thats exactly the one apart from the measurements in your second picture which shows 78 3/4 inches which is right mine says 80 3/4. your explanation with regard to the swedish inches fits the answer i was looking for. when i googled verktum hultapors i got a shed load of info but all in a foreign language which would now appear to be swedish i really should have paid more attention at school. thanks for the info..
all the best
rob

 

[Alf]

Ooo, different inch nationalities; nasty. Right up there with patternmakers' rules as trips for the unwary woodworker. Think I have one of those in the pile o' tools - might just be wise to double check that, methinks...

 

[Richard T]

Roy and the Danish inch ...

http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/video/3000/3007.html

16 minutes 25 seconds in.