The builder who showed up with a tape measure from 1987

Ngl, my old crew lead still uses the same tape measure he bought when he started framing in 1987. Last week I watched him layout a whole foundation with that beat up thing. He just knows where every 16th inch is without looking. It got me thinking about how much stuff has changed since then. Has anyone else worked with a builder who just refuses to upgrade their tools?

2 comments

2 Comments

janac591mo ago

Why would he upgrade if the old one still works, right? I've got a guy who still uses a chalk line from the 90s with a broken case, but he strings it up faster than I can grab my laser.

robin_wright1mo ago

My dad has a hammer from like 1968 (he got it when he was 16) and he still uses it for everything. It's got this weird groove worn into the handle from his hand that fits perfectly. He tried using my fancy new framing hammer once and complained about it for a solid week. I swear, some guys just develop a relationship with their tools that goes beyond practicality, you know? Like that tape measure is basically an extension of his arm at this point.