Pacific Arc 18 inch Pica Pole Metal Ruler, with Pica, Points, Inches, and Agate Measurements, Stainless Steel Ruler for Drafting

Pica poles are pretty old school now, but as a former journalist I won’t live without one. If any other profession uses (used) them other than people involved in producing printed media, I have no idea what it could be… I bought this new one because I managed to misplace the pica pole I’ve had for at least 30 years around my home somewhere. Looking for it and not finding it in its “spot” causes me a bit of distress that other measuring tools do not. I tore through the house and couldn’t find it. So I went online and bought this one. It’s a nice one. Although I think it’s unlikely that people shopping for a metal ruler would end up on this page…let me say that pica poles are a fantastic and solid measuring tool. Most metal rulers I’ve run across bend if it’s held up by one end. These don’t. If all you need is to measure in inches or if you want a solid straight edge, this is a great tool. There’s a reason that journalists, typesetters and layout designers insist on keeping a pica pole in their homes long after their careers are over. As a group, we’ve been choosing pica poles over metal rulers for many decades - even when metal rulers are so much cheaper.

This is a specialty tool used in graphics arts and publishing, so it has the appropriate scales for inches, agate, picas, and points. It's made of steel and will last forever. I had my previous one for decades, and in a moment of carelessness, left it on my desk at home. Either one of the grandchildren or the lady we hire to clean the house got it. So, hide it when you're not using it. (There was some ink smeared on the points scale that you'll see in the picture, which I couldn't entirely remove, so somebody at the factory was careless.)

Solid steel and very clearly marked numbers and increments. About as perfect as it gets.

Fast and straight It's a ruler.

This is a traditional personal tool of Letterpress printers. They call it a Pica Pole. The strange shape of the end is intended to easily line up with the type in a chase or in a composing stick. Pica is a traditional basic unit of measure for printers. Only 4 stars rather than five, because the material could have been a different grade of steel with more 'spring' in it to resist taking a permanent bend in regular use. But it is still better than the old cheaper version made of brass that would take a permanent bend very easily and the markings would wear off. I have no idea why a draftsman would use it.

I used to use this item when I worked in a print shop. I eventually bought my own. After a few moves, I couldn't find it anymore and even though retired I still use it to make a lot of fine measurements around home. So I bought this one. It is almost as good as my original. Wouldn't you know, less than 2 wks later, I found my original one! Now I have a great back-up!

The edges of this ruler were a bit sharp I used sand paper to tame the edges down

Just what I needed. Wish I could have gotten the 24 inch line gauge from the same place but couldn't find one. Had to purchase from another co. This has all the measurements I'll need. Thanks.

Muy buena calidad y precisión. Buena compra.

good ruler

Excellent quality price.

👍🏻

Just what I wanted.