Taytools 12" Rigid Machinist Rule Ruler Hardened Spring Steel 4R Graduations in 1/8", 1/16", 1/32" and 1/64" MRSAE-12

I ordered this rule to replace the Office Depot metal ruler I've been using for years. On first examination it is plain that this is a serious tool. I was immediately impressed by the sharpness and readability of the scribed markings. The first thing I did, though, was put it side by side with my Starrett combination square and found it is absolutely spot-on accurate. The measurements appear in four different scales, one on each edge and they appear as eights, sixteenths, 32nds, and 64ths. This is different than on other rules and does require some adjustment on the part of the user. Measurements begin at the end of the rule so there is no "dead spot" to account for. Other reviewers have suggested it should have a hanging hole, and I agree, but I also own a drill press, so ... :-) I like this rule well enough that I ordered the 6" model to keep in the chest pocket of my shop apron.

From the photograph it looked as though this was a pack of 2 rulers. $10 for 2 metal rulers seemed like an okay deal. However... when it arrived I discovered this was only one ruler. I feel like the photographs are deceiving; every photo shows what appears to be two (2) rulers. Obviously (now), the photos were showing the front and back. I feel this is slightly deceiving due to the fact that there are three sets of photos with two rulers in every photograph. Three photos of the exact same thing seems a bit superfluous and misleading. Other than this issue, the ruler appears to be a decent product... it's a quality piece of stainless steel and the markings are etched into the steel, not just painted on; however, it did arrive slightly bowed (due to the fact that it was delivered in a soft bubble pack envelope instead of a box). I debated returning it but decided to go ahead and keep it, so I raised my review from 2 stars to 3.

What is not to love about this rule? It is accurate (#1 priority for woodworkers), it is easy to read (#2 priority for woodworkers), it feels solid - a pleasure to use, and it has 4 scales on the same rule, so you can pick the one that makes more sense depending on what you are measuring (1/8 and 1/16 in one side, and 1/32 and 1/64 on the other side (each on the top or the bottom of the ruler). I did try 4 other brands before finding this one, and I am very satisfied with this model - finally! I was getting tired of returning rulers...

My fault actually....I failed to realize that the highly reflective surface was going to make this impossible to read, especially under bright lighting conditions. I will have to go over this ruler with some 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper, otherwise it is almost totally useless.

the sides of the ruler I received were not parallel, i don't have a surface plate setup at the moment to figure out if one side is not square to the ends or if it's ground tapered.it's 25mm wide at one end and 24.78mm wide at the other, it seems to be a pretty constant taper but i wouldn't trust it to be dead straight or parallel but good enough for most uses.just don't trust it to be exactly 1 inch wide when drafting with it

Using this ruler to do panel layouts and it’s easy to read and can quickly determine centers and divide spaces evenly. Of course, I learned to do it as a kid when schools were still teaching basic arithmetic.

The hard metal is perfect for my straight edge cutting needs and it's really handy to be able to measure with such accuracy down to 1/32 of an inch. I want one in every size.

Steel rule is sturdy, thicker than cheaper rules and markings are etched so should not wear over time.