Random aside: does anyone here have a recommendation for a slide rule? I'd like to have one, but I don't want to become a "slide rule enthusiast".
Ideally, I'd like one that is as flexible (in application) as possible, durable, and at least decently attractive sitting on my desk. Neither price nor size is a primary consideration for me, but I'd like to buy only one if possible.
It's a fascinating instrument, and a lot of cleverness is involved in the choice of scales, plus precision manufacturing. Asimov will show you how to make your own simple slide rule.
Slide rules work because of One Weird Trick -- Addition via sliding one member across another. It's just a question, then, of WHAT one is adding (or subtracting, which is just negative adding). do have fun, I have a small collection, because, you know, nerd.
I enjoyed my Post Versatrig; like a lot of the Post slide rules, it's made out of bamboo, which reduces the need for lubrication. I've also had slide rules made of mahogany and plastic, but the bamboo was nicer. Post made a few different Versatrig models, and I don't know which one I had.
In terms of versatility, go for slide rules with scales that compute general-purpose functions (circular or hyperbolic functions) rather than special-purpose functions (feet to meters, Celsius to Fahrenheit, compound interest, horsepower to kilowatts). Also, get a duplex rule, not a simplex, since the cost difference is no longer important. And maybe go for a fairly large one; that extra half-digit of precision extends the rule's usefulness to a lot more calculations.
Ideally, I'd like one that is as flexible (in application) as possible, durable, and at least decently attractive sitting on my desk. Neither price nor size is a primary consideration for me, but I'd like to buy only one if possible.