A Look at Klein Tools' Tough Blade Tape Measures

Tape measures, as we know them, are one of those tools that we take for granted and it’s such an essential and basic tool that it’s hard to imagine life without them or a time when they didn't exist. They’re relatively young though, having appeared basically in the 40’s from an earlier idea in the 1800s and came about around the same time as the folding rule. Since then, many tool companies have manufactured them with varying degrees of success, but one manufacturer that nailed it would be Klein Tools. Klein knows many of the common demands that pop up on a work site and they made tape measures accordingly.

One of Klein’s newest innovations to tape measures is the new Klein Tough Blade Tape Measure. The Tough Blade brings back some of Klein’s standard tape measure features like easy to read lines and a sturdy nylon coating that keeps the printing from rubbing off after extended use. They also bring back the speed controlled retraction to prevent injury. With those basic features, your tape measure will have a much longer work life and allow you to work more safely when compared to other tape measures on the market.

Klein is adding a number of new features to the line making them an improvement over previous models. All five of the new Tough Blades feature a 13 foot standout length, eclipsing the previous 9 ½ foot length of previous models. Another recent addition is a beefier-looking impact resistant housing that helps ensure your tape measure survives falls of a reasonable distance to the floor. Of course, if you want to prevent falls altogether, situations where you’re high off the floor for example, there’s a new tether hole to make securing your tape measure easy. All of these features take an already high quality tape measure and make it better for any job site.

From there, for the most part, they’re keeping features that have been mainstays for Klein tape measures in general. The magnetic double hook tape measures (models 9216, 9225 and the 9230) will continue to feature heavy duty magnets for latching onto magnetic things while you measure, a great add-on to the double-hook made for the same purpose, the measurement scale will continue to appear on the front and back, and the conduit bending and layout table will continue to appear on the backside of the tape measure. Klein’s 7.5 meter tape measure (9375) will continue to contain metric and imperial measurements, but extends that an extra 2.5 meters beyond the 5 meter model and features an additional meter of standout. Lastly, the standard single hook tape measure (9125) omits the writing on the back, the magnetic pieces and double hooks, but otherwise brings most of the other features, basically making it a tougher version of just a basic tape measure. If you don't need any of the other frills, that's a good basic tool to get.

With these upgrades, Klein brings many benefits to handymen and workers of all stripes. With tougher tape measures they’re tools that you can rely on and with added features like the extended standout, not only will the blade last longer, it extends longer as well. Give the new Tough Blade tape measure a shot, and be sure to get in touch with us if you have any questions!