Replacement linen (or equivalent) measuring tape.

[terry]

We have a 50 foot Hughes Owens Lufkin measuring tape.

It's an old leather covered case job probably about 60+ years old; apart from the first ten inches or so which have frayed and disappeared mechanically it is in pretty good shape. It works, we have used it occasionally by ignoring the first 12 inches!

It was the property of my late father in law, who was under age infantry veteran of WWI, which he used used as carpenter while, among other things, building US bases here in Newfoundland, Labrador and Greenland in the early 1940s during WWII.

He is long gone now. I'd like to fit it with a new tape and hand it on to my son, who never met his grandfather.

And darn it. A few years ago I had found a site that could provide a replacement tape but never pursued it.

The 'linen' tape is 19/32 (nineteen thirty secondths) a touch over half inch or about 15 mm wide; and 50 feet long. Tape thickness (measured in the middle around 25 foot point is about half a mm.

Thanks for any advice or help as to a source for replacement and it would be most appreciated. Terry

PS. I'm not sure about this but I do vaguely recall the replacement might been f.glass or something????

[Reed]

Take a look at

Service Parts/ Replacement Blades

I would suggest contacting them at

ordering anything. It would help if you can find a model # on the original case or tape.

--reed

[terry]

Thank you Reed: No number on casing that we can see. Except; pulled the tape out to full extent and stencilled on back is at almost extreme end is '649'.As expected the last section of the tape is in great condition! Now if we could just turn it around (reverse it)! :-) Will contact them. Any other suggestions welcome.

[DerbyDad03]

I love the sentiment of handing down a heirloom, but from a practical point of view, linen tape measures can be somewhat inaccurate. Of course, that may not make a difference when building something as large as a military base, but when precise measurements are required, it could be a factor.

I once built a project for a competition that had a maximum girth measurement. I used a linen measureing tape since it was easy to wrap around the project and wouldn't scratch the surface. I thought I was within tolerance until a friend suggested using a metal tape since that what they use at the competition. It turned out that I had been stretching the linen tape tight around the girth and my project was actually bigger than I thought it was.

In any case, I do think it's really cool that you want to pass this treasured tool down to the next generation. Good luck with your search.

[Ivan Vegvary]

I love restoring things, BUT, in this case, since it has sentimental value wouldn't it be more valuable just the way it is? It's like handing down your great great grandfathers hammer while the handle and head have been replaced several times.

Ivan Vegvary

[Jim Elbrecht]

-snip-

Amen! Give me the tape that grandpa touched! I'd rather keep it in a box *as is* than have a usable tape that resembles the one he used. Jim [Proud owner of a Stanley level that George Prier handed down to his son-in-law Henry Elbrecht- my grandfather. I've used it once or twice at each house that I've owned just to add to its history- but it sits on a shelf- not in a tool box.]