🔧 Starrett 79B 12 Outdoor Spring Caliper Review

This caliper has smoothly polished spherical tips that provide one and only one point of contact for each tip. When you adjust and detail-test a caliper, you can immediately sense if the adjustment is too big, too small, or just right.

Although Starrett products are very expensive, other companies just can't compete with them. I've bought cheaper calipers but they weren't of the quality I wanted so I couldn't resist and bought these. I'm glad I did. Although calipers are pretty basic things, there's one big difference between them and others I've had. I can keep them for a long time and soon the cost will be forgotten, but I will still have a quality tool in the store.

Some things are beautiful in their simplicity when they are well made. These calipers fit that description. Something so simple can easily be made cheaper and worse. Fortunately, Starrett resists this temptation. I bought a pair of these to use with my wood lathe about six weeks ago. Not only do they work well, they're fun too. The tips are circular ground and polished. This means little risk of spoiling the work. They hold the setting and can be adjusted quickly and easily. So they're easy to…