TESA Brown & Sharpe 599-836-6 Hermaphrodite Joint Caliper, Stainless Steel, Flat Leg, 0-6" Range

I'd have preferred a model with the angled scribing leg and a more-easily resharpenable scribe, but at $20, this performed adequately for my community college engine lathe class. The hinge is just stiff enough to hold position well once adjusted, but not so much as to make it difficult to set to a precise distance. For this price, and for my current needs, I am very pleased with the purchase. It's rather roughly finished for a Brown & Sharpe product, but I can live with that based on the price and the fact that it doesn't affect function. I had to regrind and polish the doglegged arm's contact surface, which I wasn't expecting to have to do to a Brown & Sharpe product, but this is no major inconvenience to anyone taking well to machinist training. Still, I had to take a star away.I'll eventually move up to one with the above-described features at 3x the price of this one, but will continue using this one for light duty. It arrived quickly, was adequately protected in its shipping package, and again, the price made it a worthwhile purchase.But it's neither a Starrett, nor an item of the kind of workmanship yesteryear's Brown & Sharpe moniker brings to mind.

Serviceable, but B&S in name only. Says it’s made in Switzerland, but I highly doubt that. Current Taiwanese tools offer a much better finish than these calipers, so I’d say it is a cheap Chinese knock-off.The clamp pin holding the scribe was hacksawed off at an angle with no thought to trueing it up. Scribe not properly sharpened. Will work on Al or brass, but will require Dykem to leave a visible mark on steel. I’ll probably replace the scriber with an appropriately hardened piece of drill rod or M2 H.S. Steel. You get what you pay for.

Very stiff joint. I was really uninterested in this type of caliper before but after using this one I've changed my mind, the joint is very stiff and gives me confidence that its going to stay that way, I guess that's just typical Brown and Sharpe quality but this is the first of their products that I've owned so its a pleasant surprise.

i wish there was a "nut/bolt" at the hinge to tighten up...but works as advertised.

A quality hermaphrodite caliper. Just the right tension to hold without being too stiff to open and close. If you are looking at this you already know how handy these are and what they are used for. I am very happy with this purchase.

Arrived bent. Needs to be a polished tool if you use the curved section to scribe against a finished surface. It may just be the one I got was made poorly. This company usually makes quality products.

This was exactly what I wanted.It is relatively rare, and very useful.Can't find at any home convenience store.Thanks.

Very disappointed. The scribe is too soft to scribe soft steel, it instantly dulls. The groove that the scribe lays in is too shallow so no matter how tight you tighten the nut the scribe can easily be knocked out of position. The finish is less than desirable too.