Ok, this is a dumb question but just think about it, what made the first ever straight edge? I mean dead-straight, no tolerance what so ever.

Take yourself back in time to the stone age and progress forward until the present day. It takes a straight edge to make a straight edge.

Technology put to one side, the first ever straight edge had to come from somewhere?

 

The guys who built the pyramids.

 

Well even pyramid building doesn't need a no tolerance straight edge!

Split a slate bed right and you get a straight edge.

Follow the level of water and you get a straight edge.

How accurate do you need to be at certain points in history?

Gravity works wonders!

 

The guys who built the pyramids.

Yes, but that's a sculptors approximated hand-eye skill from which a bit of of let's say 'filler' would of ironed out. I mean a dead-straight edge to be used in an engineering capacity.

The closest thing I can come up with is the chap who drew a perfect free-hand circle. Maybe someone came along and drew a dead-straight line free-hand and used it as a template for straight edges to go universal?

 

Well even pyramid building doesn't need a no tolerance straight edge!

Split a slate bed right and you get a straight edge.

Follow the level of water and you get a straight edge.

How accurate do you need to be at certain points in history?

Gravity works wonders!

Gravity does make sense with this issue. There had to be something in place for someone to come along and make a dead-straight edge.

 

As far as a Google search goes, it appears I'm not the only dumbnut who's come up with this question.

It seems to come down to a reference edge from which could be used for engineering precision.

@ paulktreg

Yes, you maybe right about gravity, a plumbline has been mentioned several times, but it's still not 100% accurate.

 

Your core problem is there is no such thing as a no tolerance anything. The first straight edge wasn't perfect. The modern straight edge is not perfect. It is just better than the first one. Perfection is a goal, but rarely achieved.

There are artists who can draw circles and straight edges. I suspect they were your first sources. Over time we figured out mechanical ways of doing it, which improved things. It is tools to make tools scenario.

 

Well even pyramid building doesn't need a no tolerance straight edge!

...

That was certainly an ignorant response. The knowledge of geometry required to build pyramids certainly does require a straight edge. BTW, how many pyramids have you built?

 

There are many ways to create perfect straight lines, edges and level surfaces.
If you pull a string or wire taut you will get a perfect straight line.
If you grind two rough surfaces together they will become flat.
A container of mercury will form a flat surface.

 

nature provide many vector based shapes and geometric patterns. I imagine the first straight line was made with they stretched a piece of twine from one point to another.

 

I always wondered that. My preferred handy solution: gravity at work, which is the Nature version of MrChip pulling the string.

Qualifying an edge as straight goes as per what Bill says. Nothing is perfect, just within a tolerance defined in advance.

Have you considered how / what is the point of a needle. It all depends...

 

That was certainly an ignorant response. The knowledge of geometry required to build pyramids certainly does require a straight edge. BTW, how many pyramids have you built?

Are we in a bad mood today?

My answer was in response to the "no tolerance what so ever" straight edge.

 

May I suggest using light?

Light allegedly travels in a straight line, most of the time.
Gunsmiths use light by looking into their newly made gun barrels.
Some clever fellow might have thought of looking at a fairly straight piece of something to see how it affected light, then everyone on the planet failed to make a 0.00000000000000000... tolerance straight edge for the rest of all time.

 

Chuck norris made the first straight edge, back when he needed weapons to get the job done.

 

Who is Chuck Norris?

 

MrChips! I know you live on this planet. I've seen photos you posted. How could you miss Chuck Norris? He is what is known as a "One Trick Pony" in show business. Every TV show and every movie he acts in revolve around Chuck Norris beating people up with Martial Arts. IMHO, as bad as watching a Barbara Streisand movie.

"Chuck Norris is so tough that" is a standard joke line. For instance, on the cartoon show called Family Guy, "Chuck Norris is so tough that he has an extra fist hidden in his beard". Every once in a while a cartoon figure of Chuck Norris is shown walking up to another character and an arm with a fist jumps out of his beard and punches somebody silly.

In this case, Chuck Norris is so tough that he invented the world's first zero tolerance straight edge in order to beat somebody up using Martial Arts.

 

Who is Chuck Norris?

That's it, now we know you are from another planet!

Though I can see why you didn't want to see our leaders. Incompatible with intelligence you know.

 

Chuck norris, all powerful. A brief list of my favorite of his talents & accomplishments:

• Chuck Norris and Superman once fought each other on a bet. The loser had to start wearing his underwear on the outside of his pants.
• Some magicans can walk on water, Chuck Norris can swim through land.
• Death once had a near-Chuck Norris experience
• Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.

http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/chuck-norris-top-50-facts

 

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, but Chuck Norris says it's beef, then it's #$&*ing beef!

Good question about the straight edge. I've always wondered how close tolerance instruments started.

 

I don't watch TV so I had to ask my kids who is Chuck Norris?
They say he can run so fast he can run around the globe and punch himself in the back of the head. Wow! Is that true?
Ain't it amazing what you can learn from watching TV?