Knopf Bow Compass
date: label: date made
content: mid 20th century
name: label: maker
content: Knopf
notes: label: Description
content: This German silver bow pencil has a handle engraved in a honeycomb pattern above a ring. A spiral is engraved on a disc below the ring. The width of the instrument is adjusted with a corroded metal nut between the legs. The two small screws on the front of the legs that adjust the metal and pencil points appear to be different from each other. The bow nut is marked: MADE IN USA. The nut adjusting the metal point is marked: KNOPF (/) GERMANY. The initials RW are scratched into the leg with the pencil point.
label: Description
content: According to the donor, her husband, electrical engineer Robert H. Wieler (1923–1993), used the instrument. Jürgen Knopf began manufacturing drawing instruments and chalk in Hehlen, Germany, in 1950. He sold the company in 2010 and it was renamed PyCom. Since the object is marked as made in two different countries, it is possible that it was put together from parts of other compasses.
label: Description
content: References: PyCom GmbH & Co. KG, "About Us," http://pycom.eu/en/index.php?categoryid=8; accession file.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Germany
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
label: Subject
content: Drawing Instruments
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
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content: Dividers and Compasses
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Norma P. Wieler
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1998.0032.10
label: catalog number
content: 1998.0032.10
label: accession number
content: 1998.0032
objectType: label: Object Name
content: bow pencil
label: Object Name
content: bow pencil
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: graphite (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1 cm x 4 cm x 14 cm; 13/32 in x 1 9/16 in x 5 1/2 in