Standards.

[marksbug]

I thouught comment the" my wife "was going a different dIRECTION of mesurement....
i have found about 3/8" difference in my tapes.so i keep the ones closest to the same handy and try to use only 1 for important stuff.Ive found many are the same but dont mesure the same due to the end thingy(not a clue what it is called,so ill call it a tape hook) welll on most tapes the hook is **** and bends eazely, especially of you drop it. ( I assume the expensive good tapes have a lot better hooks than mine,but I do have possibly 4 semi expensive tapes and not all have good hooks) if you think will it only bent 1/16....that aint **** in the big scheem of carpentry...but...it is. especially if you measure inside them out side or the hook stops sliding...many people think the tape measure is junk because the hook is loose and slides around... well it has to slide the thickness of the hook to measure correctly...another thing. I dont mind metric tapes...but when you cant read the lines due towhat ever.printing, lines too short,color etc..what good is the tape... I like clearly labeled tapes.with long lines where they should be medium lines where they should be and short but not so effing thin lines at their proper places and if it has fractions printed on it they should not inter fear with the lines!!!! I especially like tapes with just lines & inch numbers,highlighted 16's are ok.if it does not impeach reading the lines or reading between the lines...then there is the lock system that works great this time and next time you tape go's flying.....and why cant they make the tape to where it will stand straight up on all 6 sides????? is that too hard to do????and make it a even number you can add to what ever the tape says at the inlet....some older ones did..most now dont. then there si the cheep ass blades that crinkel all to hell the first time you use this $10 tape and the $2 harberfright tape keep on going like the energizer bunny till the spring anchor lets go as all harborfirght tapes do... and now it's time for the wife to learn a new measuring syetem....