📐 Stainless 30cm SHINWA Carpenters Square Review

A square is not a square. I tested it for 3 squares and it was uneven at 1/8" x 8". I had to cut through the wood before I could start my dovetails. My joints were square until I used this tool. Disgusting that it comes untested, I can't use it for anything other than a metric ruler.

This is one of my favorite sashigane, or Japanese carpenter's square. Lightweight and durable, easy to use and easy to read number. I love the little groove that runs the full length of the square, makes it really flexible and springs back easily. The metal looks very strong and is not easily dented or damaged. The numbers were big enough to read without glasses as I'm nearsighted. Just the right length for me to fit in my tool box without being too big.

I needed a second square of 30 x 15 cm, my first was stiff but this one is easier to read and more flexible. It feels precise and direct so I'm happy with that aspect of the course. It's well made and goes well with furniture, guitars, and home decor, which is what I do most of the time. Some might want the larger version (50cm x 30cm) but the smaller size is why it's always on my desk - to put it simply I can take 90% of the measurements I need and it is small enough to keep them right there…

I received the square today and tested it on my $200 Mitutoyo High End Perfect Square Square, a Japan hardened version of their engineered square and that's all there is to know. It's made in China, but I'm sure Shinwa Japan does the quality control there. I read a one star review from someone who probably damaged it to get their money back. The one I got matches the entire 12 inch portion of the combo square's line beam exactly, with no light seen between the graduated beams of either square…

I really like it and use it more often than I thought. I keep it in my apron so I always have a large square on hand. Sometimes I work with metrics, but I don't really care about measurements when using them. I mainly use it for marking lines. It's flexible, which some people accuse it of, and I have no idea why. Folding allows me to keep the square flat on my work surface to draw/cut a line while maintaining good alignment with the perpendicular edge. Not sure why it took me so long to get one

This little square is accurate and easy to read, that's all. But I also chose this model because I wanted it to be stainless steel, which can't be. I know some types of stainless steel are easily attracted to magnets, but this square has a very strong pull. I discovered this by accident when I took the magnetic head out of my drill and it immediately stuck to the square. I tried using a real magnet and it took a lot of effort to separate the magnet from the square. So this square will…

I was afraid they would be flimsy and flexible but that's definitely not the case. They are made of 1 mm thick stainless steel and are ideal for use as a parallel cutting guide. I have fairly large hands, but the small size of this L-shaped square makes it easy to hold it in place by simply pressing my thumb against the edge guide of my work surface. It's nicely squared on the outside edges (as confirmed by a vertical line drawn from the ruler) and slightly beveled on the inside edge. I think…