TajimaGS-16BW GS Lock Standard Scale Steel Blade, 16'X1"

I always heard people in tool circles saying get a Tajima, you gotta try Tajima. So this unit was my first foray into the brand and boy they were right!I'll start with the tape itself because that's where the rubber meets the road. It's been built for more severe duty for sure. The hook is noticeably thicker than pretty much anything you'll find at your big box stores, and notably does not include the nail slot. If you need a nail slot this may not be for you but otherwise, it's a great minimization of a potential weak point. The hook is held on with 3 rivets, which are staggered so they can be closer together and cover up less of the tape. It also has a reinforcing plate on the other side of the rivets for extra durability, this is held on with 4 rivets total. From there, the tape has the first few inches covered by a plastic reinforcement and also has what they call 'Hyper Acrycoat' on it, don't know how well it helps but it does give a distinct kinda satin feel to the tape.As for accuracy... checks out amazingly against high-grade references. The tape itself features black markings on a white background so the contrast is good, and also has your typical joist diamonds and all that. The first foot is marked by 32nds, the rest is by 16ths, and it's printed on both sides.But the 'Strong' in Strong Tape doesn't end there. There is a hefty overmolding of the tape shell which provides a lot of cushion as well as grip. The overmolding even has an extended lip that helps protect the hook against bending. There is an interesting feature, the mouth of the shell is actually spring loaded and it appears that if the tape is let back too fast that it's designed to absorb some of the shock that the hook would experience. It'll definitely stay firmly on your belt, the belt loop is very strong, I actually think it's a bit too strong and can be annoying to hook it to your pants but I suppose keeping it from falling is quite a helpful feature. The lock is easy to use and holds just fine, and it even comes tether-ready with a loop poking out the back end.And to top it off, it's dressed up all nice too. The tape shell is what I would describe as a metallic candy apple red (the shell is metallic painted, it's made of plastic) and the sticker on the front is holographic.This tape has it all, now that I think of it. Didn't know you could get this much quality and all these features for just a few bucks more than the "standard" brands found at big box stores!

This is by far the easiest to read tape measure I've ever owned. Plain and simple. You can't bother to talk about accuracy if you can't clearly see your tape.I can't tell you why more manufacturers don't use a plain black text on white background for their tape blades, because as you can see in the photos, it's just plain easier to make out your measurements. I use mostly Milwaukee tools, and I've got a 25ft. Milwaukee magnetic tape measure that has been my go to for years. It works. BUT, it is noticeably heavier than the Tajima, and quite a bit larger, and to be honest, I don't find myself needing more than 10-12 ft of tape very often. Also, when I'm cutting tile or stone on my wet saw, at times I'm also laying my tape measure right across my material while I'm cutting so I know I'm cutting straight when ripping a 24" piece of porcelain. And that water will do a number on your tape blade (see the Milwaukee in the photos.) The Tajima has held up against the water much better so far.Two things I will say that make it less than perfect:1) It is not constructed of the same rugged material as the Milwaukee, its only plastic, but, it is well protected from drops and impacts by the rubber cage that surrounds the body.2) the belt clip is extremely tight to the case body, and at times its a bit of a hassle to get it securely clipped to my front pockets. If I was trying to clip it onto a thick leather belt, as some guys do, that would be difficult to do. I will deduct 1/3 star for that, but otherwise a well-built, and easy to use tool.

nice compact light tape, easy to read and stiff metal,..good for mot of my uses..

I'm a shop carpenter, don't need anything over 16ft, I don't want anything over built or with poorly thought out features.ProsEveryone who borrows it remarks on its size and weight. Fits in pants pockets easily.-Lock works great.-White tape is easy to read-Rubber buildup where tape meets body let's you rest the tape on the very edge of a board with far more stability than other tapes-single layer tape doesn't mean a laminated over tape layer that can chip and jam the tape up, ie dewaltCons-tape twisted, badly, in the first foot, within the first month of regular use. So I do have to work and reshape it occasionally to make get the head to plant flat.That being said, I'll put up with a weak tape for all my pros. Found my go to tape 👍

This is a robust tape measure that is dead on out of the box. The hook is twice as thick as other tapes and protected in a fall from being struck and bent, so you won't have to recalibrate.

Excellent, easy to read and accurate tape measure.

I love this tape. It's as rigid as a fat max but half the size. Having the scale on the bottom is a bonus. The only drawback is the 3 rivits holding the hook. They get caught on the end of the lumber sometimes, but it's really not a big deal.

The inside measurement vs the outside measurement were off. In other words the hooked measurement was different than the butted measurement. I purchased two of these at the same time and both were off. These came highly recommended but ultimately were very disappointing.

I’ve worked with other brands of tape measures but nothing “measures” up to the quality of a Tajima.