- 455 Martinson, Los Angeles
- 8 (043) 567 - 89 - 30
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A man must have a hobby….
This non-commercial website was an amazing 60th birthday present from my soulmate Ros. But the website name is thanks to another family member - our daughter Siân. When asked as a teenager what I did, she often told her friends: “My dad? Oh, he collects expensive sticks of wood!”
When the latest computer is out-of-date inside 6 months, it may come as a surprise that the Rev. William Oughtred (1575-1660) invented his Circles of Proportion calculator around 1621. This analogue principle was in continual use for nigh on the next 400 years. My hobby is collecting and writing about this analogue calculating wonder - the SLIDE RULE. Over the years the concept was successfully adopted and adapted by many trades and professions. Remarkably being able to use such an elegant analogue instrument from a bygone age is still a licensing condition for all private and commercial pilots.
This website is a virtual “display cabinet” for my collection (as it gets uploaded) of slide rules, slide charts and mechanical calculating aids and a virtual “bookshelf” for my published articles.
My wish list
| Maker | Model(s) |
|---|---|
| A.W. Faber-Castell | 1/38, 8/13, 8/14, 8/15, 20/44/3 & 51/88 |
| Addiator GmbH | Octadat |
| AHREND (Wed. J. Ahrend & Zoon) | 649, 651, 696, 698, 699 & 701 |
| ALRO (All-Round) | 101, 10 RL, Beton, Cycloop, GoA, Ha.C/P/Q/V, Philips Calendar, Nomographie, Van Leer, Vonderlingenplaat & WeR4 |
| Aristo | 80143 Martin's Space Rule |
| AWF (Ausschuss fuer Wirtschaftliche Fertigung) | SR703, SR705-709, & SR754 |
| Controller Calculator | 200 R |
| DARGUE Bros. Ltd. / Simplon | Sub-Ivory SR-1 & SR-4 + Honduras SD10, WR-2A, WR-5 & WR-7 |
| Fearns Calculators | Barber Shop Harmony Calculator |
| Fowler | Nautical, Artillery, Kearns & Mackay |
| Hemmi (Sun) | 305 & 260-S |
| Inglis | any FLASH RECKONER |
| ITAB (Internationaler Tabellenverlag) | Multicalor Flachheizkorper & Styropor-Vollwarmeschutz |
| IWA (Ingenieurbuero fuer wirtschaftliches Arbeiten) | 09102 Wiredrawing, 15489 Harmonik, 15584 Wine Tracker & 16062 Colormixer |
| Johann Faber | 180/080, 180/082, 9201, 9202, 9203 & 9204 |
| Keuffel & Esser (K&E) | 4081-3 Braille version |
| KOSMOS | Book: "De Rekenliniaal" - 11th & 12th Editions |
| L&C Hardtmuth / Classic | 10" Series III |
| Lawrence Engineering Services | S-M (C.V. Ore) & Exposure (MIT) |
| LOGA Calculator A.G. | TF, TR, T150, T300, O2 Calculator, 30 TxC & 75 Terminator |
| LOGAREX | 27705 |
| Logomat Rechengeräte | 1300/1303 |
| Nestler | RP 75, Kreisrechner & Disc-O-Lator |
| Systeem Matthijssen | - any - |
| Unique | Junior, Study 500/700/900 & J180/181/182 |
The history of the slide rule - how it all began ....
To learn more about the history of this calculating wonder check out the “Slide Rule History” published by the Oughtred Society (OS) or my 2-page summary written in Dutch.
Need a “memory jogger” or just intrigued how such bygone analogue calculators worked, then the International Slide Rule Museum (ISRM) offers an online teach yourself course: “How To Use The Slide Rule”. Alternatively download the self-running 35mm “slide show” Training Programme with synchronised audio commentary I digitalised. Afterwards try out some test calculations using Robert Wolf's online simulation of the classic Nestler 23R wooden slide rule. If this gets you thinking about starting your own collection, then the UKSRC/OS “Beginner’s Guide to Collecting Slide Rules” is a must read.
For educators looking for maths related inspiration and teaching aids/material then you need to look no further than Nicola Marras’ slide rule inspired website. But if you are just looking for reference works/published books on slide rules try one of these inventories: List 1 or List 2.
news - So far 1697 items are loaded from my collection
Book: Nestler Slide Rules 1880-1956
After years of research Andreas Fassbinder has published a ground-breaking reference book on Nestler slide rules. It chronicles and makes sense of the often inconsistent information published in Nestler catalogues, price list, brochures, etc. The 550-page Volume 1 hardback can be ordered online from Lulu.com …
LOGA dating V2
The linear and circular models of Swiss slide rule maker LOGA Calculator AG are notoriously difficult to date. Serial numbers were sometimes used but they rarely help. After some great detective work Jacques Perregaux published in May 2025 a new insightful dating guide in German. With new discoveries and the inclusion of a new chapter on training slide rules an updated Version 2 is now via the RST website freely downloadable from here …
LATEST ADDITIONS – K&E
I finally got around to uploading my slide rules from world-renowned American maker: Keuffel & Esser (K&E). Started by Wilhelm Keuffel and Hermann Esser for the next 100 years they were the largest manufacturer of slide rules & surveying equipment in the USA - see them all here ….
Dr. Günter Kugel 1930 – 2025
Renowned German collector, Günter Kugel, sadly passed away in his home town of Moers on May 18th 2025. Günter was 94 and was a good friend to me and to the whole of the slide rule community. As a highly respected and valued expert he will be sorely missed.
ALRO book - RELAUNCHED
Dutch maker ALRO is famous for its circular slide rules where the lid doubles up as a desk stand. Otto van Poelje has meticulously catalogued and photographed every model (disc or chart) ALRO ever made. At the recent online 2023 Int. Meeting the book was relaunched. Watch the short video clip about the book here … and order your copy here …
MAJOR MAKERS IN PICTURES
Rod Lovett’s facility listing the slide rule models of 14 major makers has been expanded with 7 new image archives – click HERE to take a look.
TWO IMPORTANT NEW e-BOOKS!
Thanks to Jose G. Fernández collectors can now download free-of-charge English & Spanish translations of Rechenschieber im Wandel der Zeit - a book published in 2009 by Guus Craenen. It charts the development and evolution of the slide rule from 1787 to 1905. Click HERE to go to the download webpage.
MAGICAL SLIDE RULES
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Did you know a special model exists for each house of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry? Depending on your Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin affiliations select your Harry Potter inspired sorcerous slide rule simulation from Robert Wolf’s website ...
The IMPOSSIBLE is POSSIBLE!
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Generically a slide rule can solve complex calculations but CANNOT do simple arithmetic. A rare and unusual exception is the newest addition to the collection - a System Korte slide rule that CAN add and subtract!
TOP SECRET !!
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Lawrence made the only known slide rule considered so vital to the WWII effort that the UK & US governments had it classified - based on research from MIT it calculated radar antenna beam patterns, beam width, gain, etc.
