I've owned a couple of these and I love them....until the rubber starts peeling off. Within a year or two the rubber coating on the outside started to peel off leaving little chunks in various places and making the tool less comfortable to work with.

I would give up the rubber coating altogether if I could have a hard plastic case that would last longer.

I do like to write measurements on the side of it occasionally. Maybe the cell phone rings or somebody walks up. For whatever reason I find it handy to jot down whatever on the side for later use.

This ruler has worked out well for me, after I got used to it. I usually use Stanley's Fat Max rulers and have become accustomed to their use. Two things are different on this ruler compared to the Fat Max. The hook does not have a lip on top, this feature is what I miss the most, second, this ruler has an additional lock button positioned under the bottom of the outfeed slot, this I find most handy for making multiple fast inside measurements.This ruler will not stand out as far as the Fat Max, but I don't really find that to be much of a problem as I use this ruler for mostly shorter measurements. The case seems durable, with its rubber coating. There is a pencil sharpener built in, that I seldom use. The belt clip is different. It has a extension over its top that allows you to open the clip, making it easier to clip on, this is especially handy for me as I often clip this to the corner of my pocket and not all my pants have the stiffness to open a normal clip. This ruler also has a small surface that you can write on, which has on occasion, come in handy.