Likely, the first dividers were constructed of wood. While examples of early Roman iron dividers exist, I’m not aware of any surviving wooden examples predating the Middle Ages. With few exceptions, wooden dividers were craftsman made and were not as long lasting as iron examples.
As in the case of metal dividers, wooden examples fall
into three broad categories: friction, wing and spring. The hinges on the
friction and wing dividers were two or three leaf, very rarely five leaves The
points at the bottom of the lower legs are iron pins often with a metal ferrule.
Wooden Friction Dividers:
The first example in this category is a primitive, two leaf, 8 in. pair of dividers. The square washer below the rivet argues for a very early origin, but dating user-made tools is always difficult.
The second pair is a much larger three leaf tool. The joint is held together with a bolt and wing nut. The upper legs are chamfered.
Older readers may recognize the next example from their days in elementary and middle school. These are chalkboard dividers; usually found in the classroom, but not often used. These are still available in school supply catalogs, but have been largely replaced by dividers that work on white boards.
Finally, a very nicely made example with extensive decorative chamfering. The lower legs are hinged which allows them to be held in a vertical position when set, lessening the chance that they will slip when opened wide. This pair carries the number “16” stamped into several of the wooden sections. This is a fairly common practice in tool construction (e.g. boxwood rules) to keep components that have been fitted to each other together prior to final assembly. It argues that this is not a “one off” and may have similar brethren out there. I’m guessing it’s of European origin as British and continental tools are often more decorated than American examples.
Wooden Wing Dividers:
This is probably the largest category of wooden dividers. As we’ll see, the wing may be wooden or metal. Let’s start with a very basic three leaf example. This tool uses friction on the wing to hold the wing in place; there is no locking nut.
This interesting pair has a traditional flat iron wing held in place by a brass lock nut. This is the only pair of wooden dividers in my collection with a fine adjustment mechanism similar to that found on metal dividers. The fine adjustment nut is wooden and there is even a wooden “spring” on the inside of the right leg. This fine adjustment arrangement is currently non-functional. The hinge rivet is covered with wooden caps and may be wood itself.
Below is another example with flat, iron wing and brass lock nut. Notice that the hinge joint is similar to what is found on round joint, four-fold, boxwood carpenter’s rules. Could this tool have been modified from a rule, or possibly just the hinge joint was repurposed?
These are probably the least common type of wooden dividers as there is a tendency for the thin, arched, wooden spring to dry and crack. It's probably a good idea to resist the temptation to readjust them. These tools include a wooden cross piece to adjust and hold the legs in place. In the first example the cross piece is a round, wooden wing that holds the legs in place by friction.
Finally, a classic pair of wooden cooper’s dividers probably of French origin. Here the cross piece is threaded into the legs. Turning the cross piece adjusts the legs.
