antique "scale stick" for making organ pipes

This might not look like much, despite the fact that it is likely one of the verymost unique -- "historic" even -- of my collection of old pipe organ specific tools. It is also unusual because it is easily *identify-able* as to its origin and precise function. It was a gift to me years ago from another organ-history fan (yes, we exist...) who thought it should belong to someone (me) who actually made their living in an organ shop. :-)

At a glance it looks like a ruler and in fact that's what it IS -- but a very specific type of one marked with a totally unique legend. Physically it is a thin wooden strip 32" long and about 1/4" thick. One end has a hanging hole and is hand stamped "H & H FLAUTINO" with "Flat Pitch" penciled underneath. The other end has "H & H Flaut" written in fancy script pencil with "flat pitch" smaller above it. Between them along its length are a series of 74 precisely spaced scribed lines across the width, each one a little closer or further apart to its neighbors than every other one -- the top two almost 1-3/8" apart, the bottom two barely 1/16". Hand stampings (in 3 sizes) give each but the smallest ones a "note name" corresponding directly to the (repeating) notes of the "musical scale". The backside is blank, and it has been given a clear shellac finish.

Now, a little unavoidable background to help the story along. A "flautino" is the name of one specific type/set of organ pipes, generally 61 individual pieces also collectively known as an organ "stop". [this one a high pitched flute sort of sound, but that doesn't matter here] One pipe of each set (stop) corresponds to each playing key (musical note) on the keyboard (the musical scale, that is, too) such that every key has its own pipe, and the pipes for the lower notes (LH end of keyboard) are physically larger in dimension (every dimension, proportionally) than the pipes for the higher notes. (RH end of keyboard)

Skipping over a bunch of physics, craftsmanship, and stuff, we can now say that when sets of organ pipes are *manufactured*, it stands to reason the process involves cutting out a whole series of bunches of slightly differently sized pieces of material of some variety (whether metal or wood) that in turn get assembled to each other, to ultimately end up with 61 perfectly but differently sized little whistles.

This little "SCALE STICK" records the one *most basic* set of length dimensions, from which every other parameter of each single pipe is (again proportionally) derived. It equates to (but is never exactly) the general actual physical length of each pipe measured (in whatever units, doesn't really matter) from the bottom mark of the stick to whichever scribed line on it equals the correct position in the whole set. Pipemakers (and voicers in turn) use sticks like this as a reference during the layout portions of everything, simply because doing so is a far more practical and expedient way than doing all that measuring by hand.

NOW, we come to the "H & H" part that makes this so fun. :-) In the organ world, those initials stand for the HOOK & HASTINGS Company, a famous firm which was active in the Boston, Mass. area from 1827 - 1935 and renowned worldwide for the fine quality of the instruments they produced, tonally and mechanically, then and now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._and_G.G._Hook_%26_Hastings

Fortunately for all our modern ears, it is still entirely possible to *hear* (and see) the work of Hook & Hastings -- many of their instruments still survive to this day, some of which even remain in nearly original condition and are protected and preserved as the historical and musical monuments they are.

I do not know, of course, the exact age of this piece or during what period through the H&H history it served, those details and/or the names of the craftsmen who first used it will mostly remain forever lost to history. I personally won't ever actually use it (not being a pipemaker) and may never even handle pipework which it was used to make, though the latter also isn't impossible as I have worked with some H&H pipework before, possibly more that I didn't/couldn't identify as such. The chances are much greater that I have actually *heard* pipes built to its specs, on the other hand...?? :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)