# Who make the best Slide Rule?? Pickett or Post?



## Grymir

Here it is!! What's your favorite slide rule??? Oh man, this is so deep.

Post Versalog and Pickett Log-Log are the only real options, but for this post I actually added the 'other' category. For those who dare to admit they are not nerdy enough.

Post -





or

Pickett -


----------



## Southern Presbyterian

Obviously, it would be the second one pictured because it has a cool leather carrying case. 

Actually, I've never used a slide-rule even once in my life. There was a gigantic wooden slide-rule on the wall of my Algebra classroom in 9th grade. I think the teacher used it one time to preform a calculation just to show us that it could be done. He then instructed us to take out our calculators.


----------



## Zeno333

Any of the old ones that were made in Germany were good. My dad had a real nice one from Germany in a nice brown leather case....I was not allowed to bring it to school, I had a cheap one for that. You young ones do not remember, but does anyone remember the giant slide-rules that were on the top of the blackboards in school??

Oops, missed the posting above mine about the blackboard giant slide-rules...anyway, those giant slide-rules were cool.


----------



## Presbyterian Deacon

Your poll needs a fourth option: What's a slide rule? That would be my vote.


----------



## Jimmy the Greek

I think I used a K&E (Keuffel & Esser) in college. Lol. What a blast from the past.


----------



## nicnap

Presbyterian Deacon said:


> Your poll needs a fourth option: What's a slide rule? That would be my vote.


----------



## Jimmy the Greek

nicnap said:


> Presbyterian Deacon said:
> 
> 
> 
> Your poll needs a fourth option: What's a slide rule? That would be my vote.
Click to expand...


Young Whippersnappers.


----------



## nicnap

Gomarus said:


> nicnap said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Presbyterian Deacon said:
> 
> 
> 
> Your poll needs a fourth option: What's a slide rule? That would be my vote.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Young Whippersnappers.
Click to expand...


 I have a feeling that I have tried to use my dad's before, but to no avail. I wish I knew how, but I could not even begin to guess.


----------



## APuritansMind

Presbyterian Deacon said:


> Your poll needs a fourth option: What's a slide rule? That would be my vote.


----------



## nicnap

So, here is what I found:

A device consisting of two logarithmically scaled rules mounted to slide along each other so that multiplication, division, and other more complex computations are reduced to the mechanical equivalent of addition or subtraction.


----------



## Grymir

K&E made nice slide rulers too! They were made out of mahogany and covered with etched plastic. Luxurious!


----------



## Presbyterian Deacon

Gomarus said:


> nicnap said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Presbyterian Deacon said:
> 
> 
> 
> Your poll needs a fourth option: What's a slide rule? That would be my vote.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Young Whippersnappers.
Click to expand...



 I'm not that young. I've seen slide rules. I know what they were supposed to be used for, I just wonder--if you have a good calculator why would anyone bother with such a thing!?


----------



## LawrenceU

I still use my Pickett.


----------



## Grymir

Why use a slide rule? There are times when a calc won't work. When there's no power. Certain weather conditions. Think Antarctic. And in some working environments. And you don't have to worry about batteries ruining out in the middle of a test.

I work in a kitchen, and I would love to have a Pickett Microline to do recipe conversions. I don't want to bring my programmable calc in their to do it, and I can't bring myself to use a cheapy. 

Plus, it gives a better understanding of number manipulation. 

Plus, they are just cool!


----------



## jfschultz

Gomarus said:


> I think I used a K&E (Keuffel & Esser) in college. Lol. What a blast from the past.


----------



## jambo

Many thanks for the pics of the slide rules. It reminded me so much of my late father who used one and kept it in a small leather case. I would not know what make it was but I feel as if I have been transported back in time with the memories it invokes.


----------



## BertMulder

Used to have a very nice one that I used in school. Last it, somehow, about 30 years ago..

Wish I still had it...


----------



## VictorBravo

I had a circular slide rule for high school. It had a case that said "Physics is Phun." I used it every day for trig functions, logs, regular calculations, etc.

My first year in engineering school I had a K&E that I wore on my belt--that's what real nerds did in those days (pocket protectors were the rage too--for those Rapidograph pens).

But the TI and HP calculators came on the scene pretty hard. I saw the slide rules get put aside completely before I graduated.

Still have a Pickett, which I take out from time to time for fun.


----------



## Grymir

Wow y'all, K&E is making a strong showing. That's surprising. I didn't know they were so popular.


----------



## bookslover

I've worked with civil engineers for nearly 30 years. Not only have slide rules disappeared - but drafting tables with those lights on extendable arms (for hovering over your drafting paper), too! Along with those little books of algorhythm tables...

Now, everything is computer-aided design and drafting (CADD).

I've seen some civil engineering and architectural drawings that were made in the 1930s and '40s. Some of them were real works of art.


----------



## Zeno333

victorbravo said:


> I had a circular slide rule for high school. It had a case that said "Physics is Phun." I used it every day for trig functions, logs, regular calculations, etc.
> 
> My first year in engineering school I had a K&E that I wore on my belt--that's what real nerds did in those days (pocket protectors were the rage too--for those Rapidograph pens).
> 
> But the TI and HP calculators came on the scene pretty hard. I saw the slide rules get put aside completely before I graduated.
> 
> Still have a Pickett, which I take out from time to time for fun.



In college, a student I knew that was the son of one of the Colleges Physics profs, wore a HP-67 in case on his belt.


----------



## LawrenceU

Here is a copy of my other slide rule: the good ol' E6B


----------



## raekwon

LawrenceU said:


> Here is a copy of my other slide rule: the good ol' E6B



Oh wow . . . my dad (an electrical engineer) had one of those. I played with it all the time when I was around 3-4 (early 80s).


----------



## BJClark

I have no idea, I can't recall ever using one..

But I DO know what they are..


----------

