MickinMD ★ Posted January 16, 2019 Share #1 Posted January 16, 2019 Every once in a while I want to check the dimensions on something in a store or compare two items and wished I had a ruler. One example was measuring the length of a pan to see if it would fit in my toaster oven, whose dimensions I knew. In some stores I've walked to where they had rulers and used one, but they're not always available and if they are they're usually on the opposite side of a warehouse store. So I looked on Amazon for a cheap tape measure I could put on a keychain. Most of the small ones had a lot of bad reviews but I finally found the ones in the pictures below with mostly good reviews and ordered them: 3 for $6.99 and free Prime shipping in 2 days It is a little over 1/4" thick and 1 5/8" in diameter. I removed the chain and put the ring that comes with it around the metal loop attached to the circumference and it fits great on my keychain without taking up too much room. The tape measures to 60 inches on one side to the nearest 1/16" inch and 150 cm to the nearest mm on the other side. I checked the accuracy against an architect's ruler and both the inches and centimeters are correct. The cloth tape stays at whatever length you stretch it to and pressing the black button (see bottom picture) makes it quickly and strongly retract completely. I stretch it all the way out and it retracted fine. I'll probably only use it once or twice a month, so I expect the three will last a long time. I don't know how frequent use will shorten it's life. One reviewer says she keeps one with her sewing kit but doesn't say how much she sews. A small number say the spring broke but that's typical on Amazon - those with problems are most likely to post reviews, Anyway, they work for me! Site: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B6KQGZL/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted January 16, 2019 Share #2 Posted January 16, 2019 Just now, MickinMD said: Every once in a while I want to check the dimensions on something in a store or compare two items and wished I had a ruler. Stash a ruler or tape measure in your car. There is NO REASON to attach one to your keys and tote it all over the place. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdc2000 Posted January 16, 2019 Share #3 Posted January 16, 2019 This is what I carry: https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-33-115-10-Foot-4-Inch-PowerLock/dp/B00009OYGH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrapr ★ Posted January 16, 2019 Share #4 Posted January 16, 2019 'merican...you can tell because the stars & stripes are right on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddmaxx ★ Posted January 16, 2019 Share #5 Posted January 16, 2019 I wonder if the stars and stripes are also made with global materials? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted January 16, 2019 Share #6 Posted January 16, 2019 How to take a single measurement Open the Measure app, then follow the onscreen instructions that ask you to move your iPhone or iPad around. ... Move your device so that the dot is over the starting point of your measurement, then tap . More items... • Oct 24, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted January 16, 2019 Share #7 Posted January 16, 2019 4 hours ago, Scrapr said: 'merican...you can tell because the stars & stripes are right on it Notice the made in USA WITH GLOBAL MATERIALS. I used to haul steel into Stanley Tool in New Britton Connecticut that they used to make tape measures. I think their steel now comes from China. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrapr ★ Posted January 16, 2019 Share #8 Posted January 16, 2019 2 hours ago, maddmaxx said: I wonder if the stars and stripes are also made with global materials? real China made 157% lead paint...now with added asbestos!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kzoo Posted January 16, 2019 Share #9 Posted January 16, 2019 I have a tape in the garage, a tape in the shed, a tape in the tool drawer in the kitchen, a tape in the workshop in the basement, a tape in my mobile tool bucket, 2 tapes in my desk at the office and a tape in the car. Most stores I shop at... HD, Lowes, Menards, LHS, Meijer...... all have a tape in the tool section I can borrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted January 16, 2019 Share #10 Posted January 16, 2019 29 minutes ago, Kzoo said: Most stores I shop at... HD, Lowes, Menards, LHS, Meijer...... all have a tape in the tool section I can borrow. That is what I have done as well. Likewise, the phone app is helpful. I just can't think of a pressing need for a tape measure on my keychain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted January 16, 2019 Share #11 Posted January 16, 2019 16 hours ago, Razors Edge said: Stash a ruler or tape measure in your car. There is NO REASON to attach one to your keys and tote it all over the place. I tend to agree. While it would be handy to have a tape measure on a keychain, it would also be handy to have a flashlight, bottle opener, USB drive, remote control, knives (for jsharrt), lighter, and pretty much anything else you might use 3 or 4 times a year on a keychain. That said, I like my pockets only full of things that are absolutely necessary to have for the purpose I have them, so I just carry keys on mine. Not that it is bad to have a tape measure, but that is gonna add some bulk to your keychain and make it more cumbersome to hork around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted January 16, 2019 Share #12 Posted January 16, 2019 14 minutes ago, Randomguy said: knives (for jsharrt) I think guns for jsharr would be better. Knives are close in fighting weapons, but with the gun, you can get him before he is anywhere near you! Well, he'll probably have a gun or twom so at least you won't be the guy bringing a knife to a gun fight. Either way, a gun is a better choice when dealing with jsharr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted January 16, 2019 Share #13 Posted January 16, 2019 2 hours ago, Razors Edge said: I think guns for jsharr would be better. Knives are close in fighting weapons, but with the gun, you can get him before he is anywhere near you! Well, he'll probably have a gun or twom so at least you won't be the guy bringing a knife to a gun fight. Either way, a gun is a better choice when dealing with jsharr. He likes knives and values stealth when he does his killing, he told me this. Guns are so overdone in TX, you see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtyhip Posted January 16, 2019 Share #14 Posted January 16, 2019 19 hours ago, MickinMD said: Every once in a while I want to check the dimensions on something in a store or compare two items and wished I had a ruler. One example was measuring the length of a pan to see if it would fit in my toaster oven, whose dimensions I knew. In some stores I've walked to where they had rulers and used one, but they're not always available and if they are they're usually on the opposite side of a warehouse store. So I looked on Amazon for a cheap tape measure I could put on a keychain. Most of the small ones had a lot of bad reviews but I finally found the ones in the pictures below with mostly good reviews and ordered them: 3 for $6.99 and free Prime shipping in 2 days It is a little over 1/4" thick and 1 5/8" in diameter. I removed the chain and put the ring that comes with it around the metal loop attached to the circumference and it fits great on my keychain without taking up too much room. The tape measures to 60 inches on one side to the nearest 1/16" inch and 150 cm to the nearest mm on the other side. I checked the accuracy against an architect's ruler and both the inches and centimeters are correct. The cloth tape stays at whatever length you stretch it to and pressing the black button (see bottom picture) makes it quickly and strongly retract completely. I stretch it all the way out and it retracted fine. I'll probably only use it once or twice a month, so I expect the three will last a long time. I don't know how frequent use will shorten it's life. One reviewer says she keeps one with her sewing kit but doesn't say how much she sews. A small number say the spring broke but that's typical on Amazon - those with problems are most likely to post reviews, Anyway, they work for me! Site: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B6KQGZL/ No offense, but this looks like tools you would find in a kid's playset. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted January 16, 2019 Share #15 Posted January 16, 2019 4 minutes ago, Randomguy said: He likes knives and values stealth when he does his killing, he told me this. Guns are so overdone in TX, you see. He told you that so you wouldn't expect him to walk up in plain sight and pop you with one of his many many many guns. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickinMD ★ Posted January 16, 2019 Author Share #16 Posted January 16, 2019 1 hour ago, Razors Edge said: That is what I have done as well. Likewise, the phone app is helpful. I just can't think of a pressing need for a tape measure on my keychain. As I pointed out, using a store's measure is what I have done as well - but there are not measurement devices in every store. I agree it's not for every one and I'm not recommending everyone to buy one, but an unobtrusive tape measure on my keychain is reassuring to me because there have been enough times I've hesitated to buy something or guessed it was ok because I lacked a flexible tape - including some things where phone app measurements from point-to-point on a curved surface don't help, like a foam tool-handle grip where I wanted to confirm the length but the only available example was on the curved handle of a display model. Also, there are some rare occasional things with a small, shoe-like opening where you can't easily measure the inside without a flexible tape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickinMD ★ Posted January 16, 2019 Author Share #17 Posted January 16, 2019 7 minutes ago, Dirtyhip said: No offense, but this looks like tools you would find in a kid's playset. Yes, it does and the fact that it's so small, fits in my pocket on a keychain unobtrusively, and works is the point - so I'm not offended but flattered by your observation. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted January 16, 2019 Share #18 Posted January 16, 2019 11 minutes ago, MickinMD said: As I pointed out, using a store's measure is what I have done as well - but there are not measurement devices in every store. I agree it's not for every one and I'm not recommending everyone to buy one, but an unobtrusive tape measure on my keychain is reassuring to me because there have been enough times I've hesitated to buy something or guessed it was ok because I lacked a flexible tape - including some things where phone app measurements from point-to-point on a curved surface don't help, like a foam tool-handle grip where I wanted to confirm the length but the only available example was on the curved handle of a display model. Also, there are some rare occasional things with a small, shoe-like opening where you can't easily measure the inside without a flexible tape. Again, why not just keep it in the car? I just can't wrap my head around needing that sort of tool more than once or twice a year. I get if I was doing a big job at home, I might need it more, but I would also just take a measuring tape with me into the store considering I was going to need it. It's not my pocket or keychain, but I'm can't imagine I'm much different than you and I rarely unexpectedly need a tape measure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12string Posted January 16, 2019 Share #19 Posted January 16, 2019 There's an app for that. Do it right, and there's ways to use your phone to replace the need for many keys, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted January 16, 2019 Share #20 Posted January 16, 2019 2 minutes ago, 12string said: There's an app for that. Do it right, and there's ways to use your phone to replace the need for many keys, too. Explain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Further Posted January 16, 2019 Share #21 Posted January 16, 2019 I try to carry a 6" rule in my pocket at work. When I have it I use it frequently, then I lose it and it seems to take weeks to replace. I don't really miss it while it's gone, but as soon as I get a replacement it starts getting used. Pens also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12string Posted January 16, 2019 Share #22 Posted January 16, 2019 22 minutes ago, Randomguy said: Explain. Smart door locks. Some cars are allowing app access. You can tell Google you need to go to someplace. Google can respond with directions and traffic and weather updates. The house will unlock itself. The car will start. Walk out the door, it locks. The car starts moving, google starts navigation instructions. Leave the driveway, lights and TVs turn off, heat turns down........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted January 16, 2019 Share #23 Posted January 16, 2019 18 minutes ago, 12string said: Smart door locks. Some cars are allowing app access. You can tell Google you need to go to someplace. Google can respond with directions and traffic and weather updates. The house will unlock itself. The car will start. Walk out the door, it locks. The car starts moving, google starts navigation instructions. Leave the driveway, lights and TVs turn off, heat turns down........ Fancy! My last car was a 2005 lezburu, we dykes didn't have that much newfangledness to mull over. My previous car was a 1995 Landcruiser, nothing fancy there. It did roll over things in a toxicly manly way, and I really liked that. What about the measuring app thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12string Posted January 16, 2019 Share #24 Posted January 16, 2019 24 minutes ago, Randomguy said: What about the measuring app thing? Don't use it. Now that I don't carry keys I have room in my pocket for a tape measure 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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