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A hole near the end of many rulers is mainly a hanging point, making the tool easier to store on a hook or pegboard. Family Handyman reports that the hole was also used to tie a slate-cleaning cloth to students’ rulers; holes on other rulers can support binder storage, circle drawing or craft work.
A hole near the end of many rulers is there mainly to make the tool easier to hang and store, according to a Family Handyman report. The feature also has a reported connection to older classroom use: students could tie a cloth to a ruler to wipe writing from reusable slate boards.
For a standard ruler with one hole near an end, the simplest use is hanging it on a hook, nail or pegboard. That can keep it accessible and prevent it from getting lost in a drawer or left on a work surface. The storage function can be more useful for a long metal ruler that may not fit easily in a toolbox.
The report says the hole predates its modern storage role. Before paper notebooks became common in schools, students wrote on small slate boards that could be wiped clean and reused. A piece of cloth could be attached to a ruler with string through the hole, keeping a slate-wiping rag close at hand. The report does not give a date for when that practice began or explain how widely it was used.
Other openings serve different purposes. Some school rulers have three holes spaced along one side to fit the rings of a standard three-ring binder. Certain specialty rulers use holes to hold a pin in place while a pencil traces a circle, while quilting and craft tools may include openings or slots for marking, aligning fabric or guiding a cutter. Those features depend on the particular design; a ruler’s hole does not automatically make it a circle-drawing tool.
A Small Feature With Practical Uses
For most people, the hole is a storage feature, not a measuring aid. It can make a ruler easier to keep in a consistent place, especially in a classroom, workshop or craft area where tools are used regularly. Knowing what the opening is for may also help explain why a ruler can have one hole, several holes or none at all.
The report’s examples show that holes can be designed around a ruler’s intended job. Binder holes help keep school supplies together; openings in specialist tools can assist with marking or cutting. But those uses should not be assumed for every ruler. For ordinary measuring, Family Handyman says the presence or absence of a hole does not affect accuracy: a ruler without one can measure just as accurately as a ruler with one.
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From Slate Boards to Storage Hooks
The reported historical explanation connects the hole to a time when students used reusable writing surfaces. A slate board could be cleaned with a damp cloth, and tying that cloth to a ruler offered a convenient way to keep it nearby. The source cites the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s object history of slate as background, but the supplied material does not establish that this was the original or sole reason manufacturers began making ruler holes.
As classroom materials changed, the reported slate-cleaning use became less relevant, while hanging remained practical. Modern ruler designs vary by material, length and intended use. The source also cites manufacturer information from STAEDTLER, Kapro and Westcott, alongside examples of craft and quilting tools, to illustrate that openings may be tailored to specific tasks.
The Hole’s Original History Is Unclear
The source describes slate-cloth use as a historical practice, but does not provide a dated record showing when the hole first appeared or proving that this use prompted its adoption. It is also not clear how common the classroom practice was across schools or regions. The explanation should be treated as reported historical context, not a definitive account of every ruler’s origin.
Nor can the function of every opening be inferred from its appearance alone. A hole may be intended for hanging, binder storage or a particular craft task, depending on the ruler. The report does not identify a single design standard that applies to all manufacturers.
Check the Ruler’s Intended Use
No follow-up event or product change is reported. For readers looking at a particular ruler, the next step is to check its packaging or manufacturer’s description: a single end hole is commonly useful for hanging and storage, while several aligned holes or specialized openings may signal another purpose. When measuring, the marked scale—not the hole—determines the result.
Key Questions
What is the hole near the end of a ruler for?
It is mainly there so the ruler can be hung on a hook, nail or pegboard for storage, according to the Family Handyman report.
Why were holes used on older school rulers?
The report says students could tie a cloth through the hole and use it to wipe reusable slate boards. It does not establish when this practice began or how widespread it was.
Can a ruler hole help draw a circle?
Some specialty rulers have openings that can hold a pin while a pencil traces a circle. This is not a feature of every ruler, and the report says a compass is a better choice when exact measurements matter.
Do holes make a ruler more accurate?
No. For everyday measuring, the report says a ruler with holes can measure just as accurately as one without them. The holes are generally for storage or specialized tasks, not measurement precision.
Source: familyhandyman.com
