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Chinese tape measure
Feb 26, 2008 14:39
  • GRIZ326
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While in the men's clothing department of a store in Nanning, I picked up a tape measure to tell the saleswoman the size pants that I required.

The one side had centimeters and the other side had what I thought were INCHES. ...the units LOOKED like INCHES....


HOWEVER...the tape measure said that my waist was 35 when wrapped around me outside of my clothing. ...as much as I wish my waist were 35 inches...it is not. It is 42-44 inches on the outside of my clothing.

What was wrong with that tape measure??? ...although that tape measure could be my friend ;-)
Feb 26, 2008 19:50
#1  
  • JIMMYB
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Griz, they are not inches. Actually, it is 尺 (Chi 3), a Chinese measure of length. The minimum length measure of the tape measure is 寸 (cun 4).

1 尺 = 10 寸 1 寸 = 1.312336 inch
Feb 26, 2008 23:29
#2  
  • TOMSPENCER
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...except where 寸 (cun 4) is used in pizza restaurants, in which case it seems to correlate directly to inches.
May 3, 2008 20:23
#3  
GUEST88135 I am a carpenter from Houston, TX and I just did a gig with some carpenters from China. They had the easiest tape measure I've ever seen, the tape is white with the main measurements(metric) in big red bubbles and a 10 count system...I have been searching the web to find a tape measure like theirs but cannot find it without a wholesale buy of 40 or more, I just want one cause I think it's cool!!! If anyone knows where to get one please let me know:
yahoo.com|wllmyoungblood

I have never been to this site before and probably can't find it again, I just happened upon it trying to find this specific tape so if you know how I can get one please e-mail me, I would really appreciate it!!!

AVE!

William Youngblood
May 4, 2008 06:16
#4  
  • JABAROOTOO
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Hi Griz,
I missed this post back in Feb but I had the same problems when I first looked at the Chinese Tape Measure. Thankfully it is "bi-lingual" with cms on one side just like ours. Being a dressmaker myself and comfortable with both inches and cms I find it is easy to work with dressmakers when I have clothes made for myself by using cms.

I haven't seen anything like the one mentioned for construction crews but I will keep and eye out and see what I can learn about them.
May 4, 2008 06:18
#5  
  • JABAROOTOO
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Forgot to mention that the large Chinese 'inch' looks like about 1 and 1/4" so naturally it makes us look slimmer than we are. LOL
May 5, 2008 00:57
#6  
  • GRIZ326
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*hehehe* that's funny Jabarootoo!
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