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I have a fascination with measuring tools — especially steel rules. I seem to collect them. I think it’s partly because I can never find one when and where I need it. And partly because they’re so inexpensive, I don’t break out into a cold sweat or have to come up with an explanation for my wife whenever I buy one.

But there’s a problem I’ve always had with steel rules. I have a hard time seeing the graduations. At least in my shop, I have to angle the rule just right in the light to be able to see what I’m doing. That’s true even for the better-quality rules that are etched (instead of stamped) and have a matte chrome finish.

I finally found something better, at least for my poor eyes. Enco sells a line of EZ-View® Rules that I really like. What’s different about them is that they have a matte black finish and filled white etchings for the numbers and graduations. You can see them on this catalog page. I have the 6″ pocket rule and the 12″ and 18″ steel rules. All of the ones I have are type “4R” (8th’s and 16th’s on one side, 32nd’s and 64th’s on the other). The ones I have are rigid, but they’re available in flexible versions, too.

Even the best tape measure in the world is only as accurate as the person reading it. To eliminate possible error, the DigiTape from Starrett has an internal optical sensor that accurately reads a bar code printed on the blade. This gives you two options. You can either read the measurement on the fully graduated blade or the electronic display located on the top of the case.

Your measurements can be viewed in either decimal inches, decimal feet, centimeters, or feet and inches (as shown in thumbnail at right). And they can be saved in the memory. It also automatically adds the length of the case for inside measurements and you can flip the display for easy reading from either side of the tape. All this with the touch of a button.

The digital readout is accurate down to 1/16″ and the tape costs less than $50. It comes with a replaceable long-life battery and a set of easy-to-follow instructions.