Boxwood body with brass fittings. A central slot runs the length of the boxwood body, in which a steel or similar material helical screw carries index pointers on each side of the slot and on each face of the rule. A brass serrated wheel 20mm in diameter sits in two brass brackets at the end of the boxwood scale: rotation of the wheel causes the pointers to move along the helical screw via a crown wheel and pinion.

The scales are labelled by nationalities:
Russie 0–25
Italie 49–27 and 20K
Suisse 40–22 and 86400
Austeriche

Russie 1–100k
Angleterre 0–15 E; 30 – 15 (i.e. in reverse direction )

Obverse:
Metre 1-9–110–130-150–250
France 1–20
Prussie 40–20 (i.e. in reverse direction)
Belgique
Russie 1–15K 21 800
Austriche 2–34; 68 – 36 ( i.e. in reverse direction)