The thread counter is—as you might guess—an optical tool originally used in the textile industry to count the threads in fabrics (which is why it’s also called a weaver’s glass). Typically, and as is the case here, it can be folded flat for easy transport. For quite some time now, graphic designers and printers have also been using the thread counter to assess the quality or resolution of prints, and the device is also used by materials inspectors.

Our thread counters come from Schweizer Optik in Forchheim, Bavaria—a company founded in 1840 as a glass-grinding workshop that remains specialized in the manufacture of technical magnifiers and reading aids to this day. It is crafted from solid brass, which is typically given a matte chrome finish. As self-proclaimed enthusiasts of surfaces that reveal the material’s natural character, we asked the manufacturer to forgo the final chrome plating and produce a small batch of raw, uncoated brass for us. The result is a remarkable magnifying instrument with an equally remarkable surface that develops a patina over time (to give you an idea of how the surface evolves, our product photo shows the device after brief use).