Not a rolling pin...

[stanmapstone]

It is more like this circular ruler with pencil holder http://www.richardmole.co.uk/prodimg/TB104_01m.jpg

Stan

[arthurk]

Some really good ideas here. I liked the one about the sealing wax holder, but unfortunately the long compartment seems narrower to me than sticks of sealing wax usually are. Also, I'm not convinced about a wooden match holder - though I believe the chap may have been a smoker, so if he had his matches elsewhere...?

The circular ruler is the nearest picture I've seen. I tried to find out more about it on the site the picture came from, but failed; however, I did find a ledger ruler and pencil set - http://www.richardmole.co.uk/viewprod.asp?p=732   This looks even more promising - off to explore some more!

Arthur

[millymcb]

Looks like it isn't listed on the site anymore but this is what was there before on the google listing
"Circular Ruler with pencil holder - Tunbridgeware - A very pretty circular ruler, an unusual desk item. One end opens out, on a screw fitting, to hold a thin pencil."

He says that is what it is but we don't know he was correct - although he looks like he knows what he is talking about.  Also we don't know how big it is.


That other ledger ruler thing you found looks interesting doesn't it?  it only opens one end - I wonder what the other could be for?

Milly

[millymcb]

Another example here with a bit of info as to what a ledger ruler was....ie for underlining things in big ledgers (not for measuring things)..... which would make sense as it is heavy enough to hold the page down...and as a mill/businessman he might have had use for such an item.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0tkq/

and another that says it was for rolling down entries on the page to help with reading along lines (which perhaps makes more sense that the underlining thing)
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0tkr/



Milly

[youngtug]

If it was a ruler I would expect it to have calibration marks. It could be a measure, ie; a specific length but you would need to know what length and what for. If it was, why the hollows and stoppers?

[arthurk]

Thanks for all the ideas - they've really got me thinking, and I'm now pretty sure it's a rolling ruler, or a ledger ruler. There are no calibrations, but if it was simply for ruling columns or other parallel lines, this might have been unnecessary.

I've now found a couple more pictures, which are so similar as to be uncanny:
http://agarichouseantiques.com/antique/product/unusual-victorian-rolling-ruler-reserved/
http://www.belowstairs.co.uk/acatalog/Measures.html - near the bottom of the page with the caption "Cedar Rolling ruler with Pencil and Easer R36" (sic - should be Eraser)
Mine doesn't have the eraser, but there is a stock of pencils with the same name stamped on them. If/when I find them, I'll see if they fit, and whether the name stamp is identical.

Anyway, thank you very much, everyone who has contributed. I'm going to mark this completed, but that won't stop any further comments if anyone has any.

Arthur

[arthurk]

OK - just found the pencils (well, my wife did  . The name stamp on them is identical to the one on the roller, and they fit the tube perfectly. When unused they're a bit too wide to fit the hole in the stopper, but they could easily have been shaved down a bit to fit.

Job done, I think.

Arthur

[millymcb]

Excellent!!

You can now imagine him at his big desk working away at his ledger totting up all the profits!

Milly

[Maggie.]

That does look very similar Arthur.  Another mystery solved.

Maggie