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Map measure of the month- Morris’s Patent Chartometer, without totaliser

This month's instrument is attractive, awkward to use and full of faults. The design was later refined and led the way for many manufacturers of similar map measures.

map measurer

Map measure of the month: Munn’s Map Measurer and Compass

Produced by a London jeweller specifically for cyclists in the 1890s, this little fob instrument bought together two useful functions

map measurer

Map measure of the month: Silva baseplate compasses, with scale slides

Silva are one of the most respected manufacturers of compasses. Included on some of their baseplate models is a handy exchangeable map measuring scale.

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Map measure of the month: Suunto A-40 compass

This baseplate compass from Suunto includes a novel little addition; a small tracking wheel for measuring distances on scale maps.

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Map measure of the month: ADAC Kilometerzähler

This month's example is a fun little measure made especially for use with road atlases produced by the ADAC breakdown service

Trail talk

Trail talk: Navigation resources for hiking in Gran Canaria

Three Points of the Compass takes a glance at some of the best maps, guidebooks and online resources there are for those hiking on Gran Canaria

map measurer

Map measure of the month: the Corriere dei Piccoli chilometrometro

This months measure was a gift with one of the most successful of Italian comics. It is cheap, is simple to make and, most importantly, introduced children to the wonderful world of maps and working with them.

Trail talk

Trail talk: Camino de Santiago de Gran Canaria- the finish

Three Points of the Compass travelled to the Canary Islands to walk a little known Camino. The first day had not gone well, how would it end?

Gear

Trail talk: Camino de Santiago de Gran Canaria- day one

Three Points of the Compass travels to the Canary Islands to walk a little known Camino: "the way of St. James among volcanoes"

map measurer

Map measure of the month: Ecobra pocket dividers

This month's map measure is from a German firm that manufactured almost exclusively for one of the largest US importers of drawing and surveying instruments.

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Map measure of the month: Henri Chatelain’s twenty-five inch to one mile measure

This month's measure is a bit of an oddity. It is made specifically for large scale maps and measures at 25.344" scale, also known as twenty-five inch to one mile. It was primarily used by governmental organisations, landowners, estate agents, solicitors, and those engaged in land management.

ditty bag

Trail talk: the Coast to Coast- my gear

Three Points of the Compass takes a glance at the gear he carried on a recent walk across northern England on the Coast to Coast Path

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Trail talk: Ordnance Survey’s original Outdoor Leisure 33 and 34 maps

These now hard to find sheets were specially designed strip maps for Wainwright's famous Coast to Coast Walk.

map measurer

Map measure of the month: Aristo 1323 Fächermaßstab

The handy Aristo 1323 fan scale can be used for many types of measurement, including maps. Sold for over half a century, it is still produced today in almost unaltered form.

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Map measure of the month: Henri Burnat No. 61 TP ‘Special Grand Modèle’

The model 61 measure from Henri Burnat has heft and balance. Not only is it solidly made and accurate, but has also squeezed in a surprising amount of measuring capability.

map measurer

Map measure of the month: Krasnogorsk Mechanical Works curvimeter

During World War II many a Russian officer would have been issued one of these map measures. Made at Krasnogorskiy Mechanicheskiy Zavod, production of the KMZ curvimeter continued into the Cold War era with little change in design

map measurer

Map measure of the month: Sakurai two-sided curvimeter

This Japanese made curvimeter provides greater capability than their simpler one-sided instrument. The 'kilby-meter' demonstrates good design, coupled with immaculate manufacture.

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Map measure of the month: Frederick Post model 1368

"It is of particular value to motorists, cyclists, hikers, etc. and also useful to architects, surveyors, schools and offices" Frederick Post Company

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Map Measure of the Month: The Action Line key tag #199

This month's measure is an advertising or promotional keychain with additional functionally, supplied by The Action Line. It is a cheaply made item printed with a company name who would have handed one out as a 'thank you' for custom, or as an inexpensive advertisement gifted by salesmen to clients.

map measurer

Map measure of the month: Lutz metric and imperial

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.

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