Good pocket tape measure
I feel lost without a decent small tape measure in my pocket -- use it all the time for woodworking projects, general carpentry, maintenance tasks, finding the outside diameter of pipes, checking sizes of tools and materials at the big box store, etc. I've carried one for 60 years.
I've tried several other brands, and sadly had to toss them, mostly due to failed springs or poor markings. My senior-citizen eyeballs are circling the drain, so the biggest complaint I've had with other tape measures has been faint or confusing markings with tiny numbers. The last one I had, some idiot designer decided to put both inch and metric markings on the same side of a 1/4-inch tape, with markings so faint they looked like bug tracks if I didn't have a Sherlock Holmes secret decoder magnifying glass.
I've now had this little made-in-China Stanley for only eleven days, but I've used it frequently. It's return spring system works smoothly, plenty of zip to retract. The lock is positive, doesn't slip. Even with pocket change bouncing around it, its mirror finish hasn't yet picked up any scratches or gouges. Best of all, its markings are easy to read -- plenty dark on a bright yellow background, but sharp and crystal clear, in 32nds of an inch for the first foot, and 16ths of an inch from there on out.
The only thing I can't attest to is its longevity. If it cr@ps out in less than a year, I'll see if I can come back and edit this review, but so far, it seems to be excellent.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: New