Empire E250IM Heavy Duty Professional Combination Square with Etched Stainless Steel Blade Inch and Metric Graduations, True Blue Vial, 12-Inch

This is probably the best square to buy if you don't want to spring for a Starrett. Compared to the other squares I have used in the same price range, this one is the most accurate and well made (many cheap squares aren't even really square). Having both imperial and metric indexes is helpful.

I like the combination inch and metric measurements. The blade had a slight bend to it I don't know if it was from the packing or from the manufacturer .This will be ok for what I am using this for.

I use this combination square all the time for home projects. Its sturdy construction and easy adjustment make it an essential addition to my toolbox.

Got this as a spare to my speed squares. Turns out this little tool is easier to use. Combines the features of a square and a short ruler. A lot of the walls that I tile are in older buildings and not precisely plumb. Mark the differences from the lower to the upper tiles, on the ruler. I can use a marker on the ruler and it wipes clean when I'm done. Keep it in my tool bucket on every job.

This appears well made. I was happily using it for a project until I learned of a trivial way to actually check it for true "squareness". I held it flush to the side of a 2x8 and scribed a line. I then flipped it over (turning 180 degrees), held it flush again and scribed another line over the top of the first. The lines were visibly angled and were out 1/16" at 8", which means this square is actually 90.4476 degrees and not 90.0. (I repeated the same test on the same board with another speed square and the lines overlapped perfectly... so it was not as if the board was not straight in the area I tested.)

Quality level. Good value for the money.

good product

First off, there are not any really good combination squares under $100, but this one isn't too bad. I have looked at a lot of them. You have the plastic ones, which are a joke, the whittled out ones with hob marks from machining and then those a little better like this one.Says it is made in the USA, so that counts for something.Oddly enough, it is blue. The picture is black, my other ones were black, I have seen a yellow one once, but this is blue. Not a big deal, but just looks odd. I may get to like it. You won't mistake it for StarrettNext, you can feel the numbers, but I wouldn't say they were etched. A few of them are missing paint in a few places.The rule is metric and inch on both sides, which is my real complaint. Another one I looked at had one metric scale and the rest in inch, so since they don't have but one side pictured here I thought it was probably the same. As it is, you will have to flip the blade or square to read it when your inch or metric doesn't line up with what you are measuring. Really inconvenient when you are used to a rule with inch top and bottom one side and inch and metric on the other. I am an old timer, I do things most people don't do with a combination square.It does appear to be pretty square. I did the old straightedge, draw a line and then flip and draw a line trick and it passed. I tried two other brands in stores (a clerk was amazed) and they didn't come close. How is a square a square if it isn't? Well, at least mine is or pretty close.The finish isn't too good, but better than the ones that looked like they were whittled out and the body isn't steel, so forget trying to set a 45 degree angle with a magnet on your table saw blade. On the positive side, the level vial is nice and you can see it 360 degrees and I like that. Can't remember using a combination square level, If I am serious to do leveling I use at least a 4 footer, but I like it.So, for carpentry and my general cabinet work I will be using it. For finer cabinet and machine work I have an antique Starrett I will be digging out of the heirloom toolbox.Probably the best of the cheap combination squares, but it isn't perfect. Your mileage may vary.