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How about slide rules?

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bonneyman:
A shaving forum I belong to has a free-for-all section where anybody can talk about anything that isn't flame-worthy. Some how slide rules came up. I thought I'd rather post pics and info here where my friends can see them and comment. With my faith in old, analog, non-electronic stuff slide rules are a necessity.
IIRC the last year they were manufactured was 1976 - right at the start of the digital calculator era. I just missed learning it in HS, and used one of the early NOVUS LED calculators.

For those interested in slide rules I have some links.
To purchase parts and accessories:
http://www.srtco.us/partske.htm
http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/exchange.html

To learn how to use a slide rule.
http://www.sliderulemuseum.com/SR_Class/OS-ISRM_SlideRuleSeminar.pdf

bonneyman:
This is my first one, an 10"  Engineering Instruments (USA). Received in the last batch of tools that Centerpunch sent me. Got me going on rules, hats off to him. I might never have thought about these "obsolete" things if it hadn't been for him. Toward the end of my business I carried it in my forms holder to calculate tax when the calculator gave out. Didn't need extreme accuracy - I'd just round down the amount to the nearest whole number and pay the extra myself. My aunt and uncle (Ph.D. level) saw the rule and freaked out over it!
The back has the logarithm scales and conversion factor right on the handle. Nice.

bonneyman:
Some great users. A 12.5 inch Faber-Castell (Swiss), and a 6" Sterling (USA)

bonneyman:
My really old , expensive one. A 20" Keuffel & Esser Co. engineers rule (USA), # 4053-5. From what I can find my example was made between 1922 and 1925, but, I'm no expert.

Has a straight edge ruler - inches on one side, mm on the other.  Solid mahogany with some sort of white plastic reading surface (celluloid?). Discolored, but I don't dare touch it with cleaner. Being my longest one the numbers are easier to see and accuracy better between digits.
Missing the cursor - from what I can gather parts are NOT cheap! I keep it in a cardboard tube mailer for storage, hoping to find the parts for it someday.
Update: I think I found a proper cursor for $35, and one is selling on ebay starting at $125 (supposedly a rare one)!

And a K&E slide rule manual, again really hard to find these days. After 2 years of searching I found this at a used book sale for $1.

oldnslo:
If I close my eyes, and think real hard, I can imagine the pics that were probably supposed to have been posted.

(where's the emoticon hiding under the chair icon when you need one)

Oh...and the beer dude. Bring back the beer dude icon!

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