A board shear, used extensively in bookbinding, is a large, hand-operated machine for cutting board or paper. Like scissors, it uses two blades to apply shear stress exceeding the material's shear strength in order to cut: a stationary blade forms the edge of the cutting table, while the moving blade is mounted on a cutting arm. Originally known as a table gauge shear because its gauge allowed the cutting of consistently sized materials, a board shear resembles a larger version of the paper cutters commonly found in offices.
Facts
Introduced When (Circa)Board shears date to about 1836, with the earliest known reference appearing in an 1842 supplement to Penny Magazine. 1 OriginAn 1854 history of bookbinding places the board shear's development at about 1836 and credits its invention to Warren De La Rue, per the Reports of the Juries from the Great Exhibition of 1851. 1 In the Other Atlases
Era Of Origin
Also in History Atlas: the era this subject comes from.
Source Board Shear (Wikipedia)Lead sectiontier 2Quote, Lead section
An 1854 article on the history of bookbinding from The Bookbinder's Trade Circular describes early board shears, and places their development in "about 1836"; credit for the invention is ascribed to Warren De La Rue in the Reports of the Juries from the Great Exhibition of 1851.
Sources
1. Board Shear (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHistory paragraph, first sentence
The earliest known reference to a board shear comes from an 1842 supplement to Penny Magazine, titled A Day at a Bookbinder's, which included a drawing of a board shear with many of the major developments already present.
History paragraph, second sentence
An 1854 article on the history of bookbinding from The Bookbinder's Trade Circular describes early board shears, and places their development in "about 1836"; credit for the invention is ascribed to Warren De La Rue in the Reports of the Juries from the Great Exhibition of 1851.
In Group: Paper Cutting and Folding Tools, Lead section
Used extensively in bookbinding, a board shear is a large, hand-operated machine for cutting board or paper.
View the Source Frequently Asked Questions
Who is credited with inventing the board shear?
Warren De La Rue, according to an 1854 history of bookbinding citing the 1851 Great Exhibition's jury reports.
An 1854 history of bookbinding places the board shear's development at about 1836 and credits its invention to Warren De La Rue, citing the Reports of the Juries from the Great Exhibition of 1851. The earliest known reference to the tool otherwise appears in an 1842 supplement to Penny Magazine.
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