A rubbing apparatus for liquid crystal display devices which is provided with a rubbing means for rubbing an orientation film formed on a transparent electrode substrate of a liquid crystal display device, a double refraction phase difference measuring means for measuring at least the double refraction phase difference of said orientation film after rubbing, and a rubbing controlling means for controlling said rubbing means on the basis of the measured result of the double refraction phase difference, wherein said double refraction phase difference measuring means consists of a light source which generates a first linearly polarized laser light with f1 frequency propagating in the z-axis direction with the optical electric field directed in the x-axis direction and a second linearly polarized laser light with f2 frequency propagating in the z-axis direction with the optical electric field directed in the y-axis direction, a difference frequency generating means for generating an alternating current signal f of a difference frequency f=f1-f2, a light splitting means for splitting the laser light passing through said substrate with the orientation film at an approximately constant ratio irrespective of the direction of polarization, a multiplicator which obtains products q and s of said difference frequency alternating current signal f with a signal a detected when one of the split lights is received by a photodetector through an analyzer which allows only a component substantially 45.degree. to the x and y axes to pass through and a signal b detected when the other split light is received by a photodetector through an analyzer which allows only a component substantially in the x-axis or y-axis direction to pass through, respectively and a calculation means for calculating the amount of the double refraction d of said substrate with the orientation film and the direction of a delayed phase axis (or an advanced phase axis) based on the output of said multiplicator.