Hot Lee Valley Story Tape

This truly is a measuring tape with a story.

Although we first created it as an April Fool’s gag, it has real utility in the home and workshop. In essence, it’s an adaptation of using a “story stick” to transfer measurements, but in a convenient retractable form.

You can mark measurements right on the blank 12′ tape in pencil or permanent marker, then transfer them directly to your stock. By doing away with numbers, units and fractional graduations, you avoid major sources of error in woodworking. Marks can be kept for future reference, and you can label the tape in the blank space on the side. For parents, it’s a convenient way to record children’s heights without marring door moldings or leaving them behind if you move.

The flexible tape can follow contours, helpful when positioning spindles on chair backs, checking circumferences, or other measuring and layout tasks involving curved surfaces. Not such a joke after all!