Here is what I did. Buy a good "Contractor's" tape measure (heavy duty) and strip it of all the stickers, logos, etc.

Then, make your own graphics and print on sticky back or other adhesive material and stick it on the blank, black tape measure.

This way I always know which tape is mine (my partner has a habit of taking mine).

RESTORATION HARDWARE.COM

SORRY, DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE LINK. GOOGLE IT.

go to an antique store

I bought a nautical parallel bar (about 14") for about U$120 - made of ebony (sshhh don't tell anyone)

Is it not enough that the contractors are making fun of your wussy pencil and shoes, now you need a wussy postmodern tape measure?

wow, you make your own graphics for your tape measure? I thought you were being sarcastics, but maybe not

it's just sorta sad, no?

I agree with JG ... If you want any respect on site do not make yourself appear any fruitier than we already are. Most architects I know do not know as much as many good contractors/ trade who I deal with and we have a great mutual respect for what we can jointly acheive. Silly tape measures, fresh new work boots and pretty hard hats just don't cut it. Trust me they will laugh you off site.

Oh and to really impress them grab a scrap 2 x 10 end and draw the detail on it not on the office stationary, but first pull out the framer's pencil ( big fat thing )and a buck knife and sharpen the pencil end with it first. That will gain some instantbonus points. Optional is to eat some nails too.

igotta ask igottaquestion, what are you going to measure with that "sexy" tape measure?

And layoff butterballs kai. His partner keeps taking his. I say that is finally time for some customization. Maybe it could Woo Woo too

i like the little drawings...

especially this one would fit well on a sexy tape measure.

35',1-1/4"blade. you will no longer hold the dumb end of the tape and everybody will know who is the boss.

Two other points on tape measure etiquette and gaining the respect of contractors on site visits.

1. Don't bend your tape, respect it. Your tape should always remain straight and rigid thus ensuring accuracy over a long period of time. You can slightly bend it to measure high spaces but don't spontaneously start bending it because you like the snapping sound.

2. Your not Zorro, don't let the tape sanp back into it's holster as this will over time ruin the spring coil then you'll wonder why you have to manually push the last few inches back in.

the contractor on one of our projects bought all the architects restoration hardware tapes as a thank you gift.

who cares if you want to buy "designer" stuff. who cares if it gets used? who cares if you get laughed at?

oh yeah, i forgot, some males have to constantly assert their masculinity.

all i have to worry about are my heels getting dirty.

sorry to get all femining, but this being wussy business bothers me.

steph, it was kinda a joke but my tape measure etiquette is faw real.

Its not about wussing, its about the job, the work, the project not about you your heels, or designer attitude. That's the perspective of the guys on the site. To them your skill and experience is crap ( it may not be true ) but that's their view and it not about masculinity either. Its about a respect for everyone's ability to do their job well.

I don't bring a bad attitide to the job site unless I have to point out tons of problems and the builder deserves the shaming, I have also been on the other end as a young architect being humbed by people who knew their job / craft way more than I ever will and got sent home with my tail between my legs. TThe designer stuff I find just gets in the way. Don't get me wrong I like all that designer stuff but I don't wave it around steel workers who walk beams, or guys who can hold a skil saw and split a pencil line freehand. They have other things to think about than to notice or appreciate your whimsy.

About the "custom graphics", I was obviously adressing an audience that wanted something designery.

My "custom graphics" are simply black text on white sticky back that says, "Butterball's" tape. . . AKA Not yours.

But to all their own.

I once wore a pair of 3 inch heels on a jobsite,( on route to a date). I can sure as hell tell you the contractor wasn't looking at my tape measure !

I still got the job built and i could care less what he was or wasn't looking at. In this profession , if you care so much as to what other people think of your accessories you will never get past the position you are in now. So, go buy yourself that fancy tape measure and everytime you take it out BE PROUD Dammit.

Quick question about not bending the tape... How does one measure ceiling heights without bending the tape?

i bend the tape all the time. i think that is what it is made for. as long as it is bent in the right direction, i.e., the way it always bends. if one was to bend it backwards it would kink said tape and the apparatus may not function properly. but it think it is made to be bent.

geek-girl, i think jg allowed for bending the tape only in that situation. although, i'm not sure how to only slightly bend it when measuring the ceiling height. maybe a roll in the tape instead of a crease?

how do you measure anything without bending the tape when you are by yourself? i bend the tape left and right, would take me 4 times as long if i didn't. i say its worth it.

igottaquestion,

If you are lookin for a little something something on the job site why dont you just QVC "Bedazzle" (TM) the hell out of the outside of your tape measure, carry it in a hip hugging low rise hot pink furry holster and strut the badunkadunkdunk walk like Beyonce? Thats your destiny child.

duuuude, i'm a girl, they dont care what I'm measuring/or/what with.... chances are they will already see me as wussy, even if i have a big macho tape measure.

if cell phones, trios et al are now accessories, why not tape measures? is the current tape measure design not a neolithic "utilitarian" design that hasn't been revamped yet because 'planned obselescence' is not part of the marketing scheme?

anyway, thank you for the tips, and this tape measure will be for straight up... SURVEYING. not that kinky.

the perfect surveying wear:

-a QVC "Bedazzled" (TM) measuring tape
-a hip hugging low rise hot pink furry holster
-a badunkadunkdunk

and be sure to scratch, expose crack, fart and belch frequently to look official and gain "instantbonus points."

suture, i like destiny's (sp) child

i prefer short skirts to pink furry with bedazzles

wassup with the anti fem?

and *amazing* how the word sexy can always get a rise out of a crowd? why does sexy imply feminine? and what the heck do you think blobitecture, ergonomics and anthropomorphism are derived from? the human body my man. is that not just intellectual derivation of sexiness?

igottaquestion,
i applaud your honest query for hottt measuring tapes.
but oh how amazing it is that these things get off into so many tangents. the joys of the internerd
i think concrete and wood is sexy.
and i don't think that "sexy" nessecarily implies feminine, but that's what you get when you are in this crowd i guess...

Yes! Yes! Yes! You are so right! "Ecstatic Architecture," by Charlie Jenks is a seminal work on form and rapture that concisely documents your last paragraph.

And this is Architecture so i never assigned a gender to the "perfect surveying wear." Its all about good clothes and style. its like this here sweetcheecks: there is a lot of gals and lots of dudes and lots of metrosexuality and lots of butch and even some transgendered stuff going on in Architecture. So how can i be anti anything? Its hard to tell whats up with all that inherent ambiguity. So dont fear the dude or gal rockin the tight pink furry holster who is confident enough in their sexuality to bedazzle your eyes off. Its all good baby girl- be happy you now get a complementary Damon Wayans In Living Color "three snaps in Z formation."

JG

i am so with you man, this conversation makes me lose all hope for our kind

i also appreciate JG's tape measure etiquette points. it was totally asexual and paid tribute to use of measuring tape.
to hold,carry and use a tape measure (i still recommend fat max by stanley) comes with responsibilities. it requires knowledge and experience. often it is used for analyzing a particular construction issue, for establishing a context for a design decision or a specific solution to a problem. measuring is also a reality check and informant of where to give and where to take in construction terms. the subject you measure, has a very specific thread or a path of development (it has gotten there after a step by step installation history). if you are discussing a particular issue with the builder, he/she expects you to know this thread or understand where he/she is coming from. remember and know, most construction work is covered and never to be seen again to a naked eye.
so next time you measure something don't let your brand new construction boots and mini skirts get on the way.

ever seen an intern use a tape measure - so so funny. I spend about 3 weeks teaching our how to use them.

But I was thinking about the respect on a building site - u just need some work workboots (avoid steel toed) and rough fabric trousers (avoid saying pants in the uk) - should be okay be it male or female

Yup jam! I love when "they" let is snap back the first time let's say when it's extended about 20 feet and a really good brand new one.

"I" would never do something like that the first time "I" ran one out good and was trying to look cool measuring that wall which might be out of tolerance.... hmm.