The Slide Rule as a Status Symbol
I was in high school at the end of the slide rule era. When I got to university, HP and TI were by then the prestige calculator brands, both more glamorous than the now-forgotten brand I carried. Students carrying the TI and HP calculators attracted some envious glances. OK, maybe that was just me.
To most people, the calculator was just a tool. But to a few, they were part of the wardrobe, a statement of identity. At least that was the case in the engineering school I went to. I don't know who I'd pick for the HP and the TI equivalents in the slide rule days, but I'm sure students of the day had the same quirks. Certainly the belt loop found in US made slide rules persisted in some calculators (TI, for example). You literally wore them, and they fit with the sweater or jacket, or ring.
In this page, I'll play a little bit with the notion of slide rules as status symbol, using a few items from my collection.
Sterling Decimal Decitrig Log Log. My "backup" Slide Rule
During my time in university, calculator batteries were designed in such a way as to unfailingly die midway in any exam. Students would be carrying extra batteries, and/or a slide rule as a back-up. This Sterling is the back-up slide rule I had in university. At the time, I also owned an Accumath 400-B (simplex model), and a bucket of batteries.
Either slide rule would suitable as back-up. The Accumath was easier to work with, in my opinion, possibly a side effect of fewer scales making it less busy.
But, c'mon just look at the Sterling; I had to go with this mountain of computing power. The Accumath wouldn't look right sitting next to my calculator, it'd be embarrassing.
K+E N4081-5: the Office Calculator
These are clearly not slide rules that you'd carry with you to a job site; they want a lot of desk space to operate in.
The 4081-5 (in the photo) has an inventory number stamped on it, indicating it was owned by an institution, possibly shared by people in the same office.
My other long scale linear rule is a 4092-5, which is the slide rule that actually came with the magnifier and case shown here. That slide rule has an owner name written on the sleeve, so I believe it to have been a personal possession. I wonder would actually need to actually own one of these? I have this image of it being a slide rule used by a manager, or senior engineer, to check the work of junior staff members (while the juniors stood by watching nervously).
The DIWA Log Log Slide Rule in Presentation Case: An Executive SR?
This handsome mahogany slide rule came in a wooden clam-shell case. The clam-shell has finger-holds carved into it, and is fixed together with easy-open pin locks.
The top cover has the DIWA brand in gold paint. and the metal hinge is discretely covered by some tape on the interior side. Slide rules with cases like this one are not actually rare, but it's on my list as a top example of a high status slide rule.
Clam-shell cases are ill-suited hauling your slide rule around to various sites. The could easily fly open at any moment, ejecting your fragile slide rule onto hard ground. This was, of course a desktop slide rule.
In fact, I think was basically office bling, selected to go with a matching mahogany desk, extra large ash tray, all the rest of the manly glitter.
Pickett 901-T in presentation case.
This speaks to me as someone deciding to dress up their favorite slide rule, perhaps having seen something like the DIWA case. Somebody really wanted a presentation rule
Irrespective of whether Pickett actually sold clam shell cases, I presume this one is home made.
The case when closed looks very much like the closed DIWA case, except there is no maker brand.
There are marked differences in build quality and approach to construction between this and the DIWA shown just above.
However, on the interior, rather than having a metal hinge, the tape visible on the inside is acting as the hinge for the case. The bottom edge cutout for the slide rule cursor is roughly cut, and its shape is inconsistent with the top edge.
The Otis King model K
Here we have the K model, a pocket sized helical model that could do multiplication and division. It provided 4 to 5 digit answers, came in a very snug leather sheath (mine is practically a slide rule catsuit), and of course had that shiny chrome finish.
Any slide rule of the day would have be able to solve a wider range of problems, but I'm sure that wouldn't matter if there was an Otis King out in the open. This is what you brought out when all the other guys were peering at their tiny shirt pocket slide rules, just to give them a taste of 4+ digit computing power.
The Otis King must have brought its owner some serious bragging rights.
Essential Bling - The Slide Rule Tie Clip
No matter what kind of social gathering you can think up, nothing shouts: "Look away, biggest nerd in the room incoming" more than a nice white shirt, sporting a tie adorned with a slide rule tie clip.
Nobody messes with the slide rule tie clip...you gotta have one of these.
Actually, you also really need a slide rule pen in a swank nerd pack jutting from your shirt pocket, but unhappily I've yet to obtain one of those. I suppose that explains why I don't get out much.