Compiled from 4 sources; we haven't tested this product ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
The Makers Cabinet Stria is a folding ruler in solid brass with a brushed finish. It has metric and imperial scales, a dovetail hinge with tactile stops at 45-degree steps, and a thumbscrew that adjusts the hinge resistance. Makers Cabinet gives no length or weight. It sits in our $$$$ band, and a leather sheath is sold separately.
China (primarily Shenzhen), with selected components from the UK, Italy and Japan*
Material
Solid brass with a brushed finish
Price range
$$$$over $75 per item
Colors
Brass
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Notes on these facts
Made by Makers Cabinet (designed in London). Made in China (primarily Shenzhen), with selected components from the UK, Italy and Japan: Makers Cabinet's FAQ says every product is designed in London and that production takes place primarily in Shenzhen, China, with selected components sourced from the UK, Italy and Japan. It does not say which components of the Stria come from where. Source. Price: example listing.
Colors: names per Makers Cabinet (US store), checked November 3, 2026. Makers Cabinet lists one Stria, in brass. The tint was sampled by hand from the maker's lead product photo; brass darkens with use. Tints are representative, not measured. Shops stock different colors.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.
Key takeaways
Makers Cabinet says the Stria is solid brass with a hard-wearing brushed finish, with imperial and metric scales on either side.
Its dovetail hinge gives tactile feedback at 45-degree increments; the instruction sheet marks stops at 45, 90 and 135 degrees.
A thumbscrew adjusts the hinge's resistance, and the instruction sheet says the screw can be stowed in the maker's Hovel pencil plane.
Makers Cabinet gives no length, thickness or weight for the Stria, so none appears here.
The leather sheath is sold separately, and the maker lists the Stria in our $$$$ band (over $75).
What is the Makers Cabinet Stria?
It is a folding ruler in solid brass: two halves joined by a dovetail hinge, with a metric scale on one side and an imperial scale on the other. Makers Cabinet, a London design studio that sells machined brass tools, calls it “highly engineered to be an unceasingly intuitive and cherished tool” and says it suits “every creative”.
The page lists a hard-wearing brushed brass finish, a “precision-machined brass body engineered to help you measure and draw creatively”, and paper-based, 100% recyclable packaging.
How does the Stria’s hinge work?
It has a dovetail hinge with tactile feedback at 45-degree steps, so you can set the halves at fixed angles without a protractor. The instruction sheet marks stops at 45, 90 and 135 degrees and says the feedback lets you “position the ruler accurately” at them.
The hinge’s resistance can be adjusted with a thumbscrew. The sheet adds a detail for owners of the maker’s other tools: the thumbscrew can be stowed securely in the Hovel pencil plane. See our Hovel guide.
Not stated: Makers Cabinet publishes no length, width, thickness or weight for it. The product page and the instruction sheet give materials and features only, so we cannot tell you whether it folds small enough for a pencil case. Check the page or ask the maker before buying for a specific bag or drawer.
The maker’s lead photo shows a graduated scale on each half and a round hinge at one end of the fold, but a photo is not a specification, so our drawings use decorative marks rather than a real scale. If you need to rule long lines, measure the space you have and compare it with the length on the product page, which can change between releases.
What does the Stria come with?
The page lists the ruler and its packaging, and nothing else. The packaging is paper-based and 100% recyclable. Makers Cabinet says it ships worldwide and has done since 2017, and that orders are dispatched within one to two working days. A leather sheath for the Stria is a separate product, as are the sheaths for the Hovel and the Ferrule.
Makers Cabinet Stria specs
Spec
Value
Maker
Makers Cabinet (designed in London)
Body
Solid brass, brushed finish
Scales
Metric and imperial, one on each side
Hinge
Dovetail, tactile stops at 45, 90 and 135 degrees
Hinge adjustment
Thumbscrew
Length, thickness, weight
Not stated
Case
Optional leather sheath, sold separately
Price band ($$$$ = over $75)
$$$$
How does brass wear?
It darkens with use, and Makers Cabinet says that is intentional. Its FAQ says brass develops a natural patina and that a gentle polish with Brasso restores the original shine. It advises keeping tools dry and stored in their sheaths, and avoiding abrasive cleaners.
The sheath is vegetable-tanned leather that the maker says deepens in colour with time, sold in our $$$ band ($20-75). Another brass ruler to compare is the TRAVELER’S COMPANY brass ruler; for a lighter aluminium option see the Midori aluminum ruler.
Who is the Stria for?
It suits designers, makers and note-takers who want a good-looking desk ruler that can hold fixed angles. The stops at 45, 90 and 135 degrees let you rule angled lines or stand the ruler upright as a square without a separate tool. The maker lists metric and imperial together, so it works for either measurement.
It is a gift or desk object more than a budget tool: the price band is our top one, and without a stated length we cannot say whether it fits a pencil case. We have not tested the Stria.
For a pocket measure made of six clear cards, see the HMM Pocket Ruler.
Where is the Stria made?
Designed in London and made primarily in Shenzhen, China, per Makers Cabinet’s FAQ. The FAQ adds that selected components come from the UK, Italy and Japan and does not say which parts of the Stria. For the same maker’s pencil holder, see the Ferrule.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Stria when open?
Not stated. Makers Cabinet gives no length for the open or folded ruler, so we do not give one; check the maker's page before you buy if size matters.
What angles does the Stria stop at?
Makers Cabinet says the hinge gives tactile feedback at 45-degree increments, and its instruction sheet marks stops at 45, 90 and 135 degrees.
Does the Stria have both inches and centimetres?
Yes. Makers Cabinet says it features both imperial and metric, one on either side.
Can you adjust how stiff the hinge is?
Yes. The instruction sheet says the resistance of the dovetail hinge can be adjusted with the thumbscrew.
Will the brass change colour?
Makers Cabinet's FAQ says brass develops a natural patina with use and that a gentle polish with Brasso restores the original shine. It says to keep tools dry and stored in their sheaths.
Does the Stria come with a case?
No: an optional vegetable-tanned leather sheath is sold separately, and the product page does not list a case among its features.
Is the Stria made in the UK?
It is designed in London. Makers Cabinet says production is primarily in Shenzhen, China, with some components from the UK, Italy and Japan.
