Yesterday I posted about the new $1 Anvil tape measure keychain that I bought. This morning, I woke up to a couple of polite emails and comments asking me to double check what I said about its markings, and one comment that said the same but in a more excited manner.
I did have to make a clarification. In my post, I said that the top edge markings are in 1/16th increments, and the bottom edge markings are in 1/32″ increments. I added clarification that this is for the first foot. After that, it’s 1/16″ markings top and bottom.
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Several commenters, and I bet many more readers beyond them, are counting 1/8″ markings at the top, and 1/16″ markings at the bottom.
I counted the tick marks 5 times this morning to double check, and I keep getting the same thing – 1/32″ and 1/16″. I’m not going crazy, am I?
Would calipers help? 0.0625″ for the top. That’s 1/16″. The bottom markings are twice as dense, and they do measure 1/32″.
I know the image is not very big, but if you count the tick marks between 1″ and 2″, you get 16 on top, 32 on the bottom.
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I can see exactly what’s causing the misreadings. And for everyone who did count wrong, it was certainly possible for me to make that error too, and I’m sure I’ve done it with other tapes or rulers in the past. The problem here is that the tape is so small that the hook covers nearly half an inch.
So maybe because of the hook some people started counting from the 1/2″ mark?
Or maybe it’s the proportions of the tape. I did say that this tape is very thin and floppy. Those tick marks are really spaced 1/16″ and 1/32″ apart.
From the image, I guess it does look like 1/8″ spacings, but they really are 1/16″. The entire tape is just 1/4″ wide. I actually wrapped the tape in a loop in order to use it to measure itself. You can’t do that with most other tape measures that have sturdier blades, at least not with only 6 inches extended.
In other words, if you also saw 1/8″ and 1/16″ marks instead of 1/16″ and 1/32″, don’t feel bad! I’m actually very happy that this happened, because it means you guys are reading carefully! And, I appreciate corrections, because I do make mistakes.
This gives me an idea for a future post – a discussion about the pros and cons of starting measurements at 1-inch instead of the “zero” point.
Update: This following part is for Nathan.
Here’s the vernier calipers measurement. I still use these calipers, but more often for setting measurements than making them.
0.05 plus 0.012 = 0.062, close enough to 1/16″.
Nathan
when were your calipers calibrated?
Sorry had to. Honestly I’m surprised there’s been this much discussion about a cheapodepot tape measure.
also – and serious question – which model caliper is that and how much do they cost. I have a trusty dial caliper which I’ve used for decades but I could use a quality digital one.
Stuart
I can whip out my verniers!
Mitutoyo – https://toolguyd.com/mitutoyo-digital-calipers/
$125-130, but you can get them for less during promos.
fred
I’d add a caution about “promos” from third-party vendors. Mitutoyo calipers are highly regarded, very popular and sometimes counterfeited. That’s not to say you should not look for a bargain – but just buy from a reliable source.
Stuart
Amazon has Mitutoyo promos every so often, such as “up to 15% off,” but I also meant Zoro and even MSC.
I bought mine thru an Enco promo. MSC has them for $109 in their MRO sales flyer, part 62529482.
fred
It might be interesting to see what Zoro’s price is for the model you want. Then you could do a 25% off calculation to see what’s a good price for comparison – or to wait on a Zoro 25% off sale
Stuart
BAM, added it to the post.
Nathan
I was teasing man but great pic.
Stuart
I know, but I figured why not. =)
Wayne R.
When someone tells me I’m wrong, and I think they’re wrong in turn, then it turns out I am the one who’s wrong, that really sticks hard.
So I really try to avoid that situation. Maybe Tony will too – from now on.
Donnation
While I agree with the sentiment,especially when this comes to learning new information. Without failure, succession is less likely to occur in most cases.
Generally, I try shy away from silly drama, however seems there is more attention drawn to Tony. Was he rude? Sure, yet this the internet and expecting everyone to be on their best behavior is laughable.
Now I don’t know this Tony individual so I am not defending him nor do I agree with his message either. I’ve seen FAR worse written than what was said about this person online and some verges on what might be considered incitement of violence or outright terrorism.
So I only ask others to keep that in perspective. Now in no way am I demanding Stuart to censor himself or others. This is his blog and he has every right to respond, I just merely wanted to put this in perspective as what Tony said was not criminal in nature.
Stuart
My comment to Tony was meant to be taken as gentle ribbing, and I didn’t expect for it to go any further than that. Unfortunately, I’ve had to moderate and remove a few personal attack comments that were in response to his, which I really don’t think is called for.
I make mistakes, everyone makes mistakes. I really do try to be very reserved in my responses, even if or when personally offended, because a response to one person is a response to everyone else that reads it.
Koko The Talking Ape
I think the entire thing was brilliantly handled overall, with humor and tolerance. Bravo, especially to Stuart.
Also, I hate vernier calipers. 🙂
Mark Lee Shelton
I am not sure what all the talk is about the markings. Looks pretty clear to me. I build custom cabinets and install trim as well. I use the start at 1 instead of zero all the time. Especially on inside corner cuts. Works great just make sure you compensate.
Julian Tracy
Why are we still discussing a piece of crap tape measure? Surely among all the free samples that come your way there’s a quality tool of interest to discuss?
Or a specialized tool to do a quick mention of, or a higher end tool that’s worth the cost or a lower end tool that’s a remarkable value?
I think maybe you need a few professional tool users to start adding to your ranks as contributors.
Stuart
I wrote about quality USA-made screwdrivers the other day (https://toolguyd.com/usa-made-dewalt-screwdrivers/), and you complained about it.
Before that, highly recommended Channellock adjustable wrenches (https://toolguyd.com/5-things-that-make-channellock-adjustable-wrenches-so-good/), and you complained about that too.
You know, you can send in tips or suggestions. “Did you hear about that new…; what do you think about it?”
The focus will be on hand tools a little longer. Holiday purchases (8-foot ladder, small but bulky equipment, raw materials and supplies) came in when I was incapacitated with strep and pneumonia, and I haven’t been able to clear them from my workspace yet. It’s too cold to work outside for long. So, no new power tool testing or use until I can put the time in to clear all that up. So, hand tools.
I enjoy talking about dinky but potentially useful $1 tape measures almost as much as I do about better hand tools. Comments to the other post prompted a follow-up.
Finding suitable contributors is extremely hard. Second opinion testers? That’s not as hard, but still not easy. But regular contributors? ToolGuyd has very strict ethics, quality guidelines, and policies. There were some prospects in recent years that I was hopeful about, but they went on to be social media “influencers” instead, and growing their influence required full-time commitments.
Managing contributors takes time, effort, and coordination, and I’m not ready to hire or oversee another editor to handle that for me. And I’m not ready to give up my own reviews, contributions, and other content work to take a full-on editor role either.
This is a slowish time of year, as everyone is preparing for the holidays or goes on vacation. So, I’m taking the time to work more away from my computer. Normally there’s a balance between office and workshop work. Sometimes I need to do more office work, such as last month when prepping for Black Friday tool deal coverage. Other times I “do more” and write less. Unfortunately, there’s a LOT of stuff that needs my physical attention, and it’ll be a slow process, which means things will be a little slow around here until I catch up.
Julian Tracy
Stuart, I didn’t complain about your posts about screwdrivers or wrenches.
I offered up that the Dewalt brand is watered down with rebranded no good reason to buy them hand tools. And probably mentioned that Channelock brand has similarly been trading on their past reputation while putting out loads of Chinese crap.
But that’s quite a step away from complaining about your posts. (aside from all the decidedly non-tool related knife posts, of course.)
I look forward to an upcoming review of bookshelf speakers 😉
Stuart
I’m sorry, I’ve just found that a lot of people have been overly negative lately, seemingly about everything.
If I post about a cheap screwdriver, some people comment and write-in about wanting to hear about more premium ones that they can trust for demanding everyday use, and not “garbage.” I write about more premium ones, and people email and comment that it’s too expensive and they don’t see the point, and that the brand should stick to power tools.
Those Dewalt screwdrivers are very uncharacteristic for them, and I can only guess that they’re trying to challenge Milwaukee in industrial and MRO spaces. At face value, they’re good screwdrivers, and I feel that they’re slightly more affordable version of Proto and Mac screwdrivers of very similar styling.
Don’t joke about bookshelf speakers – I upgraded my office speakers a few months ago, and I really would like to post about them eventually.
In theory, I could post about such things – and EDC gear such as folding knives and flashlights on other domains, such as GearGuyd.com and EDCGuyd.com, but I just cannot effectively maintain anything other than ToolGuyd. What I might end up doing is allowing for loosely related reviews and topics on one day a week – but to complement and not replace regular strictly-tool-related content . And by loosely related, I mean EDC gear such as pens, pencils, or notepads, which are of proven interest to readers. But not things like Legos. Well… there is a Lego “garage” set coming out…”
fred
You may know that some folks get depressed around the holidays – and/or as the winter solstice approaches and there is a paucity of sunlight. Negativism does seem to creep in along with a (perhaps rightly) jaundiced view of all the commercialism surrounding what should be a happy and blessed time of the year. Maybe we all need to just shrug it off – or better yet take a vacation in the southern hemisphere. I’ll be heading south soon!
MT_Noob
I like variety of posts on this site. I’d suppose that “knives” are probably the second or third tool ever created. I suspect a rock (aka hammer) was the first tool, and then sharp or pointy thing (knife) was second. Given the fact that Stuart is fond of knives, I think he has shown good restraint/balance at sprinkling in the occasional knife review/deal without over doing it. Although other people may feel differently.
It’s funny how no matter what Stuart does or how hard he tries, there is always someone unhappy. If he goes to a Milwaukee/DeWalt/Makita show and does too many posts in a row, then he gets accused of being a fan boy. So he sprinkles in some variety and he takes the heat for it not being a topic someone wanted. It’s like he can’t please everyone all the time. funny how that is.
: )
I’m sure no one ever means to complain per se. It just sort of looks that way.
Stuart was not kidding when he said feel free to suggest new tools or topics. I have done that a couple times and he has always responded. Sometimes doing a post. Sometimes reminding me that it was already done previously. (So now I do a site search before suggesting a new tool, it is surprising how often it has already been covered…)
I may just pick one of these up, or one of the previous key chain models he has reviewed. The one I keep in my laptop bag is literally being held together with electrical tape, and it is time to replace it.
Stuart
Oh, you have no idea how many knife reviews are in the queue.
I find it to be a fascinating tool category because small details in designs can contribute to huge impacts in quality and user friendliness.
It’s also one of very few tools that everyone can use, whether they work at the top of a bridge, in a tunnel under the ocean, renovating an office, or from a cubicle.
It’s the attention to the little things about tools that inspired ToolGuyd, and that same attention (or obsession) spilled over to other related areas.
There was always something. In high school and college years, school supply shopping was an adventure, and test in patience the few times someone came with me.
MT_Noob
How about “Friday free-for-all” or “Wild Wednesday”? I like the idea of a loosely related or even unrelated bonus post.
Nathan
to be fair stuart’s first post has some good points. do you need a keyring tape, do you give a rats rear about it sporting a name brand and having 50ft of standout, does cost matter.
If you answer yes, no, yes then this is a good fit for your. OH and if they came in pink I’d have bought 2 for my daughter. INFACT as I type this I’m thinking about buying 2 and spray painting them pink.
Number 1 daughter specifically asked for a pink tape measure while she was “helping’ me build her toy box.
Philip
Measure once, post twice 🙂
Adabhael
Perfect. Philip wins this comment thread.
Yadda
I will be buying several of these tape measure. The price and size are perfect.
PHILIP JOHN
So. I am confused. I think you were correct.
Let me know…
You know what’s more confusing… using different circular saws and shoe guide. And or cutting on one side and then going on the other… like on 4 x8 sheet.
MT_Noob
Agreed, I wish I had a nickel for every time I thought I was cutting on the “waste” side of a line and instead accidentally cut on the wrong side and ended up with a piece that is 1/8 in too short.
firefly
Lol, I didn’t pay attention enough to the first post. However after reading this post I still count the top marking as 1/8. I didn’t pay attention enough to the number and I was sooo sure I was right. It’s not until I saw the picture with the caliper that I started to backtrack to see where I was wrong. The picture that included the 2″ mark put everything into perspective. FWIW I was counting from the midpoint mark. The picture and the nonstandard sized tape was really deceiving.
Bill
Yes!
ca
Wrong again I’m afraid. The top marks are every five eightieths of an inch (5/80″). GET IT RIGHT!
Gordon
I love the “the photo was confusing” comments. Yes, the end of the tape, and the spot marked 1 are so confusing.
A most honest comment would be “I made an assumption and was too excited about the prospect of correcting Stuart that I forgot to make sure I knew what I was talking about.”
Wayne R.
That’s the way it seems we’re going these days: A superficial glance, a quick reaction, done. A moment’s thought? Trust someone’s experience & knowledge? Go home old man, you’re done.
I fight it but I’m losing.
ToolOfTheTrade
It wouldn’t make sense if measurements began at 1 and not 0 for imperial measurements. I’m not really understanding how this tape measure is confusing being that it’s marked with imperial increments. People obviously don’t know how to read or count 32nds or 16ths on a tape measure to get to an inch and you are ignorant if you can’t read or tell the difference between those markings on a tape measure. This is exactly why they should not print fractional numbers on tape measures. It makes people reliant on their ignorance by not having to think about accuracy and it creates stupidity & lazy thinking habits which is not how accurate measurements are taken. It kills me when I hear someone say “plus” when reading a measurement. They need to learn how to break down an inch starting with 64ths.
Stuart
It can sometimes be easier or more accurate (with respect to the reading, not the tool) to measure from 1″ than the hook on a tape measure or zero point on a ruler, and then you just subtract an inch from the measurement.
Bill Clay
It will most definitely be more accurate here since you said this tape measure’s hook is fixed. So is it fixed for an inside measurement or outside (or just somewhere in between)?
Rory
All the hoopla about a one buck tape – there are bigger problems to worry about.
Surely this tape is designed for people wanting to know if their new arm chair will fit in their Prius….
glenn
This. I carry a 2m Milwaukee keyring tape in my lunch cooler for occasions when I need a rough measurement to see if something will fit in a particular space, be it an aircon unit for work or a chest of drawers for home or a storage container for the garage. Not for precision measurements.
Stephen sustad
I always measure from the 1″ mark when possible. It’s surprising how often the hook gets bent slightly with use.
William Nicholls
You get a more accurate overall measure for a longer length, then divide by the increments. You can’t be very accurate with parallax for one increment, and the increments can vary.
Kevin Hausman
Some people suck. Toolguyd doesn’t. If you just want to complain about stuff start your own website and leave this dude alone. I read his posts everyday and your non constructive criticism is shameful. Thanks Toolguyd.
Ray
Ok, just a hint someone gave me once many years ago and I still use it frequently. Rather then measure from the 1″ line and have to calculate, begin at 10″ and 13 is 3, 16 is 6 etc. very handy tip from 30 plus years ago. Also scanning the other contributions I read about negativity and the endarkening of days in the fall/winter and I would agree anectdotally. Well we have crossed the Solstice so the comments should now become more cheery. Good luck in 2019.