Puzzled by a imperial tape measure

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

uncleboob

Full Member
Dec 28, 2012
915
53
Coventry and Warwickshire
Hi guys, I've been given an old tape measure which has feet and inches on one side and something 'other' on the other side. At first I thought it was half feet but when I checked it it measured 7 13/16 or 19.9 cm...any ideas what this is and called? Thanks all Joab


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Macaroon

A bemused & bewildered
Jan 5, 2013
7,209
362
73
SE Wales
It could be what's known as a "weight tape", which is a tape used to measure either loss or gain of weight in horses and ponies; there are many, many different types of these which doesn't cause the confusion you may think, as they are all self - referential, so to speak. You use the tape to measure the girth of the animal in a known state, then measure on a regular basis thereafter; the measurements thus gained will indicate weight loss/gain but only in reference to the initial one taken. I've seen scores of these in harness rooms with no two being the same, they were given away as promotional items by feed mills and companies producing nutritional additives for equines. None of them work any better than a cord with knots in it, however :)

Just an idea.............................
 

uncleboob

Full Member
Dec 28, 2012
915
53
Coventry and Warwickshire
Okay the tape measure is a chesterman 66ft tape measure which looks like this one

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171378324839

And this is what the tape looks like

2vbaeyq.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

ged

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 16, 2009
4,976
13
In the woods if possible.
Hi guys, I've been given an old tape measure which has feet and inches on one side and something 'other' on the other side. At first I thought it was half feet but when I checked it it measured 7 13/16 or 19.9 cm...any ideas what this is and called?

I think it might be for measuring cords of wood. No idea what it's called.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
A link is properly 7.92". If the tape comes to 25 links its a rod measure, if 100 links, a chain measure. 1,000 links is a furlong btw.
 

uncleboob

Full Member
Dec 28, 2012
915
53
Coventry and Warwickshire
You guys are amazing! I knew someone would know the answer. I have to say I have never come across a 'link' before, it's funny how quickly terminology falls out of use- I'm guessing that as it's on a tape measure it must have (at one point) been a familiar term

Thanks again guys, Joab


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
Links are weird because they are a decimal unit of an imperial measurement - almost a hybrid metric imperial. A chain is a chain because surveys were really done with a 22 yard chain originally. That chain had 100 links. That's why a link is an odd fraction of an inch.
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE