This steel tape has metric and inch scales on the front. The back has metric and inch scales separated by pi. Place it on a flat surface and you can read inches and centimeters instantly. By wrapping it around a tree, one can read the back scale to get the diameter, which is the circumference divided by pi. Scales do not start at the end of the tape. Instead, they start a few inches from the end. I think this makes it easier to estimate the diameter under the crust, although it depends on the thickness of the crust. There is a large loop at the end that you can use to temporarily drive a nail into the wood to hold the end while you measure. The ribbon doesn't have an outside wrap but has a smooth spring that pulls it back when it's done.