Starrett Spring Tempered Steel Rule with Satin Chrome Finish, Quick Reading and Inch Graduation - 6" Length, 4R Graduation Type, 3/64" Thickness - C604RE-6

Precise and handy. Very legible. Little expensive but worth the money if you are looking for a quality made 6 inch machinist ruler. Highly recommend Starrett, old and established company.

You pay nearly ten times what a Chinese rule costs to purchase this rule made in Athol, Massachusetts, USA, and it’s worth every penny IMO. Superb quality, readability, and accuracy that will last several lifetimes if properly stored and cared for. Most highly recommended.

High quality scale!

I'm an artist and craftsperson, so I'm fussy about my rulers. This is probably the nicest ruler I've ever owned. It is expensive, but it has a nice weight, is easy to read, the markings don't wear off, and 0 IS AT THE END OF THE RULER! So many similar brands have a space between zero and the end of the ruler, which makes them useless for things like measuring the depth of a furniture mortise. Plus Starrett is known for it's measurement accuracy, so I've no doubts on that front. I feel confident this is a ruler that will last a lifetime.

This rule purchase was a replacement for my well used Starrett rule which was lost. I looked for that old rule everywhere, 3 or 4 times. Ordered a new one as soon as I accepted the fact it was gone.* I'm a hobby machinist making small steam engines (see Elmer Verburg) and use that 6" rule more than any other measuring tool in my box. I don't do much scribed lay-out work but usually use an edge finder to locate the mill tooling over the work piece and use the graduated hand wheels to move the table/work piece as needed. The rule is precise and so readable to be able to double check the tool location before starting a tooling operation. With a little care this is a tool that will last a lifetime and the modest price will start to fade from memory the moment you pick it up. *That lost rule was found but don't regret for a second having 2 of them. One at work and another for the bench at home.

I bought 4 of the more popular 6 inch rules so you don’t have to! This review will focus on the Starrett, but mentions the others in comparison. Speaking of a comparison let’s start off by listing the models and their weights: Starrett C604RE = 23g Mitutoyo 182-105 = 27g Shinwa H-3412A = 18g Shinwa 3001 A = 18g The Starrett is noticeably heavier and thicker than the Shinwa rules. It feels about the same thickness as the Mitutoyo. As others have noted the font for the graduations is larger and much easier to read than all other brands listed here. It is the only ruler that I can easily read without my glasses on. This is a big plus, although the angle the light hits it can affect the view a bit more, you’ll see that in the photos. I think this is because the graduations are indented pretty deep whereas the others are closer to the surface. On the back the graduations (in 8th’s and 16ths) are not numbered, but the other rules don’t number their graduations so I can’t dock points there, although it would have been a nice feature . Each of the rules has a handful of different sub models, usually this has to do with the specific type of graduations on the front and/or back. Once you’re set on a brand, find the sub model that suits your measurement needs the best. Is this the perfect rule? NO – and here’s where I have to knock a star off. Check out the photos, you’ll see that on the Mitutoyo and one of the Shinwa models, both the 32nd and 64th graduations are right side up…on the Starrett only the 32nd’s are right side up. The 64th’s are printed upside down. (see the pics) How does this affect the usage in real life? I’m glad you asked. Check out the 2nd photo of this review. I have all four rules measuring a box which is 3 24/32nd inches long. – Which mean it should also read 3 48/64th when looking at the 64th graduations. The Shinwa H-3412A and Mitutoyo do line up that way. The Starrett though, because those graduations are upside-down make it look like it’s 3 16/64ths if you’re not paying attention….you have to flip the ruler upside down but then the inches are upside down and inch markings start at 5. The Shinwa 3001A recognizes this and has two sets of inch markings that are right side up regardless of which set of graduations you’re flipping the ruler to…. the downside with this is that this design half of the ruler is always upside down no matter which way you flip the ruler…. Interestingly Starrett moves to this layout in their 12 inch rulers (Model# C304SRE-12). So ultimately which rule is best? Well much I prefer the layout of the Shinwa H-3412A and Mitutoyo 182-105 - all graduations are right side up - and between those two I prefer the Mitutoyo because it’s thicker, heavier, and has slightly larger font than the Shinwa. But I like the easy to read font and the feel of the deep etching of the graduations of the Starrett. I would say this, the Mitutoyo is the “best bang for the buck” at about $12 and as long as your eyesight is good probably the best overall. Are you getting old and your eyesight isn’t quite what it used to be then go ahead and spend the $26 for the Starrett, remember to flip the ruler if you’re doing 64th graduations and you’ll be very happy. Do you absolutely want the cheapest option out there? Then the Shinwa will do the job. I’ll have to use the Mitutoyo and Starrett side by side for a couple weeks to figure out which is actually best for my use.

The quailty of this measuring tool is up to the highest standard you expect from Starrett. This tool will last for a user's life time.

The Side rule is so useful. i wish i didn't lose these so much. 7 in 10 years. under cabinets, maybe in walls... no reason to think i wont buy an 8th.