Japanese Combination Square Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have been using this type and brand of square since 1977. They are as accurate as machinist's squares, +/- .0002 (two TEN-thousandths) per six inches.
So long as you don't abuse or drop them, all steel construction guarantees they will stay accurate for a century or two.
The size is convenient for small tool-boxes and belts.
The foot-plate allows it to stand on it's own which makes many common alignment procedures much easier, just like good machinist's squares.
The foot-plate also "registers" to any surface perfectly square on BOTH sides, which makes marking 90 or 45 degree cuts a snap. The shape, with it's trapezoidal holes makes it easy-to-hold and place. It's heft helps it stay in place. I find that steel squares are more useful than aluminum "speed-squares" or the plastic equivalent for certain shop operations and set-ups that require a magnet to hold the square in position.
Some people are confused by the marking system on these. Strangely, even the Woodcraft website mistakenly claims these are marked in "16th inch graduation." It's no surprise then that one reviewer was disappointed when he found they were not. This square, and others by Shinwa, use the Japanese "sun" markings. The SUN system of marking is unique to Japanese master-craftsmen which they use in their beautiful complex joinery. It is neither Metric nor Imperial. That is no problem if you just want the SQUARE, but don't need a measuring device.
BTW... If you are thinking about learning japanese joinery, you NEED squares with the sun system. When you read the Japanese joinery books, many times old-masters only give dimensions in "sun." It is a real hassle trying to convert that to Imperial or metric, especially on angle-cuts. The SUN system of marking automatically compensates for certain angles, thereby eliminating the need for trigonometry. If you wonder why the markings on the angled-side line up perfectly with the straight side, that's why.
I have an antique Starrett square ( inherited from my father, a pattern-maker) and a new Starrett, plus machinist's squares from Germany and Japan. They all agree with this square with ZERO deviation.
That's just awesome for a $20 dollar tool!
Over the decades, many fellow woodworkers and tradesmen have commented on my "funny-looking square." Quite a few end up buying one after trying mine. Because these are so useful, accurate and inexpensive, I have often bought these as presents for fellow crafts-people. As a result of all that, I have seen and tested forty or fifty of these over the years. Without fail, every one of them was dead-square. All of them have nicely machined and finished edges; never a bad one in over four decades.
So long as you're OK with the unusual SUN marking-system, this square is Highly recommended.

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Japanese Combination Square is a 90o try square and a 45o miter square. Machined from stainless steel with graduations etched and black filled in 1/16" increments. The 1/2" flat base allows this square to stand by itself for power tool setup or it can be hooked on the edge of your stock for layout work. 4" tall by 6-1/4" long.

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