Sargent & Co., NY Carpenters Level

Sargent & Co. was a hardware manufacturing company based out of New Haven, CT.  They built various builder’s hardware, locks and other hand tools for both carpenters and mechanics.  

For builders and bricklayers, all is for naught if one’s work is not level. After all, who wants to sleep in a bed that has been placed on a sloping floor, and if your brick patio is laid at the wrong angle, the winter rains will saturate your home’s foundations rather than running off harmlessly into your flower beds or lawn.

The level at Smith Tavern is a spirit level, which is also known today as a bubble level. Originally, the liquid in the level’s vial was filled with spirits, which is how the device got its name. Interestingly, the vials curved slightly so the bubble would naturally rise to the top of the horizontally positioned cylinder when the tool was perfectly level. The straighter the vial, the more sensitive, and accurate, the level. Spirit levels came in all sizes, from pocket levels that were just two inches long to carpenter’s levels that were almost three feet across.

Reference:  https://www.collectorsweekly.com/tools-and-hardware/levels

Catalog Items:

Item 78-10-3

Location:	Open Shelves - Bottom
Length:	30 cm
Width:	3 cm
Height:	6 cm
Weight:	360 g