This month’s measure was imported into the US by the Lutz Company following World War II. Simple in operation, with just two-measuring scales, it is a fine example of the well crafted instruments coming out of Japan at that time.

This is a simple but well-made measure. Primarily finished in polished nickel plated steel, the case and handle have no markings and the only identifier is the Lutz name on the paper dial below the glass crystal. There is a single needle pointer, that rotates around the two concentric scales shown on the dial. These measure 0-39 inches, in clearly defined one inch increments with smaller half inch inter-increments also shown. A second dial records 0-99 centimeters (the American spelling of the international ‘centimetre’). These are in single unit increments. There are few pins or pivots shown on the exterior of the case and no screws, even the crystal is held beneath the front half of the case. It has a very smooth outward design with unfussed clean lines.

The Lutz measure has a lovely sweeping case design with a finely toothed tracking wheel that can trail behind the perpendicular, much like a castor wheel. Oddly however, this is not how the measure is operated. The ‘trailing’ wheel actually goes in front and tracking is in advance of the measure rather than behind. Fortunately, there is no requirement of a castor angle due to the rigidity of the case and tracking wheel working in one plane. It is a strange method of operation though and goes against intuitive use. The suspicion is that while the design was cloned, the associated mode of operation was not.

Today, Japan has a reputation for the manufacture of good quality home-designed products, however this was not always the case. Japan did go through a period of cloning products, similar to what Chinese manufacturing frequently does today, and many European and U.S. products were copied. This changed, partly due to pressure from the Japanese Government and partly due to a need to protect their intellectual property.

The Lutz Company began the manufacture of drawing instruments in Guttenberg, New Jersey, around 1892. The word mark LUTZ was first used on their projectors, mapping and surveying instruments, which included map measurers, in 1909. Following World War II, Lutz imported slide rules and other instruments made in Japan by Ricoh Measuring Instruments. While it is difficult to put an accurate date to this month’s instrument, the Lutz measure is an excellent example of a well made post-war Japanese instrument created for export.

Ricoh have a long and varied history and are responsible for the manufacture of a number of instruments and tools, including map measures, sold by other firms worldwide, some of which have featured as Map Measure of the Month. Ricoh were also known as the Nippon Slide Rule Company (1948 to 1950), Relay Industries (1950 to 1958) and San-Ai Measuring Instruments (1958 to 1963). 

There is no knurling or similar on the handle to aid in grip and it is smooth between the fingers. The Lutz measure is a comfortable size in the hand. It measures 119mm in length, of which 70mm is the handle, that can be unscrewed from the case. Width is 34.6mm across the case and its thickness is 8.15mm across the deepest point- to the apex of the domed crystal face. The Lutz measure weighs 43.6g.

Despite its slightly odd tracking design, this is a reasonably efficient and accurate measure. The two simple scales offered- metric and imperial, would have enabled it to be used for a majority of measuring applications, be it drawing or design, engineering or trade, or, simply map reading. For those still using such analogue instruments in preference to digital, this is a practical solution, that is if you can find one, as it is an uncommon survivor.

I acknowledge that I have used the term ‘imperial’ when describing units of measurement on this measure. The pedant can happily argue that this is incorrect and I have only incorporated it as I am a UK resident that grew up with imperial measurements. More properly for an instrument imported in to the US for a US market, this measure will be showing the inch as a ‘United States customary unit’. These were adopted in 1832 and were largely based on UK units of measurement that were themself overhauled in 1824 to form the imperial system, adopted in 1826. What is an ‘inch’ has varied in the past, but this was standardised in the US in the 1950s and 60s with the adoption of an international yard and as a metric equivalent, which is 25.4mm. There remain differences in what is regarded as a precise mile. While most of the world would regard a mile as being 1609.344 metres, the US defines it as 1609.347 218 694 meters so the difference between a US and international mile is just over 3.2 mm, or a little over one eighth of an inch.

For those seeking more information on this, the online copy of Weights and Measures Standards of the United States, a brief history, by Lewis V Judson, published by the US Department of Commerce, 1963, updated 1976, makes for interesting reading.

Three Points of the Compass has looked at a few more Map Measurers in detail. Links to these can be found here.