UK-made straight edges · 25 sizes in stockStandard 12 months’ warranty, or 2 years when you register your tool
StraightEdges.org
UK-made straight edges

Buy the right straight edge

Shop steel straight edges for scribing, marking and heavy knife work, and aluminium safety straight edges for cutting and scoring with your fingers clear of the blade. 300 mm to 3 m, UK-made.

Shop steel straight edgesShop aluminium safety straight edges
Not sure which one? Shop by job below ↓
12 to 72 in · 500 to 1750 mm
Steel straight edges15 sizes in 53 × 3.25 mm carbon steel
From £22.00
Shop steel straight edges →
 300 to 3000 mm
Aluminium safety straight edges10 sizes, each with a recessed finger guard and a non-slip foam backing
From £26.00
Shop aluminium safety straight edges →
UK-madeMade by Maun Industries, who have made hand tools since 1944
Published accuracyEvery straight edge we sell is accurate to 0.001 inch per foot (0.084 mm per metre)
12 months’ warrantyRegister your tool to extend this to 2 years
25 sizesFrom 300 mm up to 3 m, in steel and aluminium
Shop by job

How are you going to use your straight edge?

Below we’ve paired up the type and size of straight edge with common jobs we see them used for:

Cutting belts, straps and bag panels

Steel Straight Edge Imperial 24″ (1701-024)
It’s heavy enough to hold the leather still, and it’s straight to within 0.002 in (0.05 mm) over the full 24″.
£45.00inc. VAT
Shop the 24″

Scribing lines on sheet steel or aluminium

Steel Straight Edge Imperial 36″ or Metric 1000 mm
Either one is long enough to scribe right across a yard-wide or metre-wide sheet.
£69.00inc. VAT
See these sizes

Trimming vinyl graphics and sign film

Aluminium Safety Straight Edge, 1000 to 1500 mm
The recessed finger guard keeps your hand away from the blade on long cuts.
From £45.00inc. VAT
See these sizes

Scoring sheet glass

Aluminium Safety Straight Edge 1000 mm (1710-100)
The non-slip foam backing stops it sliding about on the glass.
£45.00inc. VAT
Shop now

Cutting across 8 × 4 ft boards

Aluminium Safety Straight Edge 1250 mm (1710-125)
It’s long enough to cut across the full 1220 mm width of the board without moving it.
£75.00inc. VAT
Shop now

Cutting card, mount board and foam board

Aluminium Safety Straight Edge 500 or 600 mm
A handy size for a cutting mat, with a guard that keeps your fingers clear of the blade.
From £29.00inc. VAT
See these sizes

Checking a bench or machine bed for bow

Steel Straight Edge Imperial 48″ to 72″
Good for everyday checks with a light behind the edge. For formal inspection you’ll need a DIN 874 straight edge.
From £95.00inc. VAT
See these sizes

Cutting 2 m vinyl flooring and wallpaper

Aluminium Safety Straight Edge 2000 mm (1710-200)
It cuts right across a 2 m roll in one continuous line.
£119.00inc. VAT
Shop now
Shop the two ranges

Steel is for marking and checking. Aluminium is for safer cutting.

Choose based on what you need below:

6 mm hanging hole53 mm wide12″ to 72″ · 500 to 1750 mmBevelled working edge, full lengthaccurate to 0.001 in per foot (0.084 mm per metre)Carbon steel, 53 × 3.25 mm (thickness drawn larger). Not to scale.

Steel straight edges

15 sizes, from 12 to 72 inches and 500 to 1750 mm
  • Scribing and marking sheet steel and aluminium
  • Checking panels, frames and machine beds for bow, by looking for light under the edge
  • Heavy knife work in leather, such as belts, straps and saddlery
  • Heavy enough to hold sheet or hide still. Each one has a 6 mm hanging hole and comes in a wallet with anti-rust paper.
From £22.00Shop steel straight edges
6 mm hanging hole40 mm widerecessed finger channelnon-slip foam backing300 to 3000 mmBevelled working edge, full lengthaccurate to 0.001 in per foot (0.084 mm per metre)Extruded aluminium, 40 × 10.5 mm. Channel shape schematic until Maun’s photos arrive.

Aluminium safety straight edges

10 sizes, from 300 to 3000 mm
  • Cutting vinyl, film, card, mount board and laminate
  • Scoring sheet glass, with a foam backing that stops it slipping
  • A recessed channel that keeps your fingers clear of the blade
  • Light enough that you can position even the 3 m size on your own
From £26.00Shop aluminium safety straight edges
Shop by size

Shop all straight edges

Browse all of our straight edges below:

Steel straight edges 15 sizes in inches and millimetres, all accurate to 0.001 inch per foot

Aluminium safety straight edges 10 sizes in millimetres, all with a recessed finger guard

12″ to 72″ · 500 to 1750 mm 53 mm 6 mm hanging hole Bevelled working edgeaccurate to 0.001 in per foot (0.084 mm per metre) Carbon steel, 53 × 3.25 mm, surface ground. Drawing not to scale.
What you’re buying

Our straight edges are properly standardised

A thin stamped rule or a timber batten comes with no stated straightness. Every Maun straight edge has a precision-ground bevelled working edge, accurate to 0.001 in per foot (0.084 mm per metre): less than a tenth of a millimetre over a full metre.

The bevel keeps your scriber or knife line in plain sight, with no parallax. The 3.25 mm carbon-steel body is heavy enough to hold the work still.

They’re made for marking, cutting and everyday checks. If you need to sign off flatness to an inspection standard, you’ll need a DIN 874 straight edge and a proper inspection process, but that is overkill for 99% of people.

Compare all 25 sizes
Steel or aluminium?

Steel vs Aluminium Straight Edges

Compare the two in more detail below:

Maun steel straight edgeMaun aluminium safety straight edge
Best forScribing, marking, cutting and everyday straightness checksCutting and scoring with a knife, with your fingers kept clear
Sizes15 sizes, from 12 to 72 inches and 500 to 1750 mm10 sizes, from 300 to 3000 mm
Accuracy of the bevelled working edge0.001 in per foot (0.084 mm per metre)0.001 in per foot (0.084 mm per metre)
What it’s made ofSurface-ground carbon steel, 53 × 3.25 mmSilver-anodised extruded aluminium, 40 × 10.5 mm
WeightHeavy, so it holds the work stillLight, so it’s easy to position, even the 3 m size
Hand protectionNone: it’s a flat bar, so keep your steadying hand clear of the bladeA recessed finger-protection profile that keeps your fingers away from the blade
Grip on the workIts weight keeps it in placeA non-slip foam-rubber backing
How the edge wearsHard-wearing enough for repeated scriber and heavy knife workKeep it away from knocks and repeated heavy blade contact
Checking for straightnessFine for everyday workshop checksNot made for checking straightness or flatness
PriceFrom £22.00From £26.00
Shop steelShop aluminium
Before you buy

Not sure what you need? Read our buying guides

We explain how to choose the right size, how accurate it needs to be, which material to go for and how to compare prices.

Straight Edge or Rule? How to Choose the Right ToolRead the guide →What Length Straight Edge Do I Need?Read the guide →How Accurate Should a Straight Edge Be?Read the guide →Choosing a Straight Edge for Metalwork, Fabrication and Machine Set-upRead the guide →How to Choose a Straight Edge for CuttingRead the guide →Steel, Aluminium, Stainless or Plastic Straight Edge?Read the guide →Can You Use a Straight Edge to Check Flatness?Read the guide →Best Straight Edge for the Money: How to Compare Price and ValueRead the guide →
Questions

Straight edge questions

What is a straight edge?

A straight edge is a tool with one edge made straight to a stated accuracy. You use that edge as a guide to draw, scribe or cut along, or hold it against a surface to check whether it’s flat. It isn’t really a measuring tool: a ruler’s job is its markings, while a straight edge’s job is how straight its edge is.

What is a straight edge used for?

Mostly for marking, cutting and checking. Engineers and fabricators use them to scribe lines on sheet metal and to check panels, frames and machine beds for bow. Leatherworkers cut belts and straps against them, and sign makers, model makers and flooring fitters use them to cut vinyl, card, laminate and wallpaper. On building sites you’ll also see long aluminium straight edges for plastering and screeding, but those are made for building tolerances rather than accurate marking or cutting.

What can I use as a straight edge?

For rough work, anything with a reasonably straight side will do, such as a steel rule, a spirit level or a length of timber. The catch is that these usually don’t come with a stated straightness, so if you see a gap, you can’t tell whether it’s in your work or in the tool. If the line needs to be accurate, use a straight edge with a published accuracy.

Which size should I buy?

Go for one that’s longer than the longest line you need to mark or cut, so you don’t have to move it partway. For bench work and leathercraft, 12, 18 or 24 inches is usually enough. For sheet material and panels, match it to the width of the work: steel goes up to 72 inches (1829 mm) and aluminium up to 3000 mm.

How accurate are they?

Both ranges have a bevelled working edge that’s accurate to 0.001 inch per foot (0.084 mm per metre). They’re made for marking, cutting and everyday checks, not for inspection-grade measurement.