Bifold Gunter Rules

EA Stearns #3 and Stanley #15

These are nearly the same rule. One (bottom, darker) was made by EA Stearns of Brattleboro VT, which sold out to Stanley in 1863. Thereafter, Stanley came out with the No. 15 (top, lighter). It bears slightly different scales than the Stearns but appears identical in construction, leading me to suspect it was also manufactured by the Stearns factory and just labeled "Stanley". Both are lovely carpenter's boxwood rules, fully bound in brass.