# The origin of a straight line/flat surface

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-a-straight-line-flat-surface/615067>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 7, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-a-straight-line-flat-surface/615067 "2012-03-07T19:40:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 16

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**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-a-straight-line-flat-surface/615067/16 "2012-03-08T04:40:42Z")

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My post from an earlier thread:

> [@How was the first straight edge made?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-the-first-straight-edge-made/441082/16):
>
> FYI the earliest known devices to draw theoretically straight lines are the Sarrus linkage and the Peaucellier-Lipkin linkage.
> 
> [Sarrus linkage - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarrus_linkage)
> 
> [Peaucellier–Lipkin linkage - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peaucellier-Lipkin_linkage)
> 
> The arms of the Peaucellier-Lipkin linkage don’t have to be straight. Only the indicated distances must be equal. This can be accomplished by stacking those arms and drilling through them all at once.
> 
> I’m not sure if an analogous construction method can be used with the Sarrus linkage, but it seems simple enough that the ancients could have discovered it.

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