An interesting divider

[rusty]

Old man loaned me this, probably to make me envious, as i rather have a thing for compass's and dividers...

Originally thought manufactured, but , looking closely, I see hand cut holes, and a fusion/forge weld....

Someone spent a lot of time making this.

There is a faint stamp, I Parsons????? Anyone ever heard of such? (Blacksmith?)

This thing is really neat in any case, and one of the larger dividers I have seen....

[jimwrench]

 There was an L J Parsons of New Haven,Conn who had early patent on bit brace and a couple of other tools, Didn't find anything on dividers but could be a clue.

[john k]

From the uneven lines, am thinking it was hand made, by a very skilled craftsman, maybe for himself?   That wingnut is fantastic.   Remember before the American Civil War, manufacturing meant a line of craftsman working at a line of benches, all doing nearly the same thing.  Then the steam engine was hooked up to a line shaft, and things changed forever.   He only loaned it?   It looks to be silver plated, I like it. 

[Billman49]

Nicely made, but I would guess made by a tool maker - in the `19th century made 'factory; made tools of this type were embellished and thus in our eyes 'decorative'. This one I would say US or UK made. In France and other European countries they are often very decorative (search compass for French tools)...

[anglesmith]

These are fairly common in Australia (I have a few), these decorated ornate dividers were made commericaly for larger companies ( see R timmins and W&C Wynn pattern books)usually by self employed makers working at home, they weren't blacksmiths but specialist craftsmen toolmakers usually gaining their particular skill from their father or a close relative. These dividers could date any where between late 1700s and late 1800s. The book Peter Stubs and the Lancashire Hand Tool Industry by E Surrey Dane ISBN 0 85427 037X gives great in site into the early English tool making system.
Graeme
 

[Branson]

I have a similar pair, about 8" long, but in far rougher condition -- the surfaces have all been etched by time and you can read how they were made by the grain of the wrought iron.  The points have steel forged into them.  I like reading the way they were manufactured.

Not too long ago, there was a pair on eBay, identified as English, and date stamped 1783.

Mine don't have the concentric rings around the pivot pin, but they do have the decorative notches.

These are about the most beautiful of dividers in my opinion.

[rusty]

Thanks folks, that gives me some insight.

I don't think they are silver plated, just astonishingly clean for their probable age.

Interestingly, inside the divider legs, you can see a hint of original scale.....(Presumably that part was not finish filed)

>grain of the wrought iron.  The points have steel forged into them

Was wonderibng if these might be wrought, interesting observation. I don't see any discontinuity on mine near the points....

[anglesmith]

Rusty  Some times you can see a difference in colour between the steel and the wrought iron. I also suspect that some of the early carpenters/coopers dividers weren't steeled as they were mainly used on wood!
Graeme

[Branson]

>Was wonderibng if these might be wrought, interesting observation. I don't see any discontinuity on mine near the points....

Quite definitely wrought -- forged to shape and then filed and polished to perfection.   These are in astonishingly good condition. 

The steel in mine is made very conspicuous because of the amount of oxidation over the past 200 years.  The iron looks like wood grain, and the steel stands out smooth.  It would have been hard to see any discontinuity when they were new.  Like trying to see the discontinuity of the "inlaid" steel on a new pair of Wiss shears.

 Anglesmith has the right of it -- sometimes you can see a color difference, detect a small line where they have been steeled, like in 19th Century firmer chisels, framing chisels, and mortising chisels.  Remember, the steel is only going to be around an eighth of an inch thick, forged into the underside of the legs.  (Heh.  Shows up better if you let them rust a little bit...)

[Branson]

I also suspect that some of the early carpenters/coopers dividers weren't steeled as they were mainly used on wood!
Graeme

Yes, some weren't steeled.  I have a large pair of dividers -- about 18 inch legs -- that definitely are not steeled. 

James Marshall laid out Sutter's saw mill with a pair he made.  All local oak, not finely finished (one side shows the use of a scrub plane to rough them into shape).  The points are cut nails driven into place and then sharpened for use.  I keep thinking I'll make a duplicate of them some day.