Empire Level e1190 16-Inch by 24-Inch Professional Framing Square, Blue or Black Anodized Aluminum

My Empire Professional Framing Square is an excellent tool. A flip test for square showed it to be true over its 24 inch length. While I prefer etched measuring tools, the highly visibility, white on blue, deep stamped graduations are easy to read. When compared to a 16 inch Etched Stainless Steel Blade the square was very accurate. This light weight square is anodized aluminum construction. Do not treat it as a steel square, you can bend it. Now to my gripe about the label. Empire placed a four inch long label on the wide side of the square. This was not one of those easy peal off labels. This label was glued on with that super strong glue. Removing it required a razor bladed, I carefully handled it to avoid scratching the blue finish, and three soakings with Goo Gone to get it off. I would recommend this framing square to everyone looking for and accurate light weight square. Don't forget to order the Goo Gone.

Top quality, markings are HIGHLY visible which is the main reason for our purchase of this square. Best of all it is MADE IN THE USA, so for us it was a no brainer purchase. Has been in constant use for the past couple months in a construction environment and it is holding up extremely well. When the time comes to need another replacement, this will be the first place we come to.

Excellent square at an excellent price. Mine was slightly out of square when received. Tip.. To check the square on a square, place the short end up against the edge of a large flat edge, like a sheet of plywood with the long edge laying across it. Draw line using the outside edge of the long side across the sheet. Then roll small edge over 180 degrees and line the bottom of long outside edge up against the previously drawn line. If the top doesnt also match up with the line then your not square. To open up the angle, use a punch and light taps with a hammer to make small dents on the either flat side, right in the 90 deg bend. Doing this close to the inside corner will spread the short end and the long end apart. Start with a few and recheck the square. Using the punch close to the outside corner will bring the 2 ends together and close the angle.

Great level

Good quality with fast shipping.

I'm not sure how I was working without a framing square for so long, but it's great to now have this one. I tested out it's squareness and it measured to be very accurate. A few other reviewers complained that theirs were not perfectly square, so it's possible that I just got lucky. But it's lightweight aluminum, so it should be pretty easy to adjust if you need to. (If you are wondering how to either measure the squareness, or adjust it, do a Google search and you'll find several helpful articles explaining both.) As for the stickiness of the label that some others complained about, they seem to have remedied that issue. It was pretty easy to get the label off without marring the surface or making the measurements difficult to read. Overall, I'm very happy with this square. Now that I have it, I use it all the time.

I searched the warehouse stores for a decent square for months. None even came close to being square. This product came from the package perfectly square (I compared it to my Starrett combination square and it passed muster quite well). It is a nice size for rafter work and other rough carpentry. I used it to build a new garage bench and it was very accurate and easy to read. Wish they gave you a choice of color, I would have taken the black (my eyes are getting old and like the contrast of white on black), but an excellent product overall.

I bought this square mostly based on the light weight rust proof material, for outside work during the monsoon season in the high country of New Mexico. It is very easily handled, and it is square to less than a half degree at 24 inches. The color makes it attractively decorative when not in use, hanging from a screw on the wall of my shop. The light weight makes it feel somewhat flimsy, as though it might be easily bent, but it has been proven very durable in some hard use. I wish they offered it in other colors. I'd buy a very red one and a yellow one too.