Visited a custom cabinet shop in Portland and noticed something wild

I walked into Miller's Custom Cabinets last Tuesday to grab some cherry plywood, and every single workbench had a different brand of tape measure on it. Not one guy was using the same brand as the guy next to him, like some unspoken competition. Does your shop have an unwritten rule about tape measures, or is everyone just grabbing whatever's on sale?

2 comments

2 Comments

evaallen22d ago

oh for SURE it's a competition, I've seen it in every shop I've ever set foot in. some guys will literally tape a different brand to their belt just to mess with the guy next to them, like it's a secret handshake they're not supposed to talk about. the real unspoken rule is you NEVER borrow a tape measure from someone else unless you want to be glared at for three days straight. it's basically the cabinet maker's version of picking a favorite football team, except nobody actually admits they care.

the_fiona21d ago

Carry a spare in your pocket at all times, trust me on that one.