Review on FastCap PMS FLAT 16 Flatback Measuring Tape by Adam Browning

Very useful for accurate measurements when you need a flat tape measure. Don't plan on using it daily. It's not great tape for heavy duty use, but it's a fantastic tape for carpentry or other fine woodwork. Pros: The case looks well made. The writing surface on the side is actually very useful for making notes about measurements. The trigger on the bottom to hold the band in place is handy. High contrast black and white letters. It is convenient to have the metric and imperial scales on the same band. Cons: The recoil spring is ridiculously strong. Worse, the metal strap itself is quite brittle and prone to bending. I used to have 100 feet of steel tape. It didn't buckle because the steel was quite thick and spring steel. It seems MUCH thinner. The strap bent when I pulled it out of the box where the clip is riveted to the strap. As mentioned the recoil is very strong and caused another big kink when I let the tape spin freely and wrapped it around the end.