Searching for a good quality, metric-only, 300mm steel ruler

Thanks, Nicholas and Jason.

In circumstances where I needed to avoid marking a surface, I think I would probably still use a plain rule (and probably wood or plastic, if applicable), and just stick something (e.g. clean paper) to the back of it temporarily, as Jason suggested earlier, rather than use a rule with a permanent cork or rubber backing; those backings tend to get undetectably embedded with minute abrasive particles that will scratch your vulnerable surface anyway, where a strip of clean paper will not.

The permanent backings are certainly a help in discouraging the rule from moving during a cut or when marking a line, but when you're cutting many sheets or strips of paper in succession and you need to slide the ruler up to divider marks each time, the non-slip backing becomes literally a drag that slows the work down considerably.

You can get single bevel blades for the Logan cutters then no need to worry about lining up to half blade offset. Also if I remember rightly we used to sell a holder for them that was like a knife handle so you could use them against other straight edge snot just their guide rails.

Strip of masking tape stuck to the rule can help stop it slipping about but don't leave it stuck to the rule for longer than needed as glue can go off.

The theory is good, however in my experience single-bevel blades tend to cut in curves.


Fwiw, when working in a nice clean studio, I have been known to use a "dual tack" double-sided sticky tape on the back of my ruler. This allows you to give your ruler a nice, repeatable/re-positionable/"Post-it" level of adhesion.

I found that it can work brilliantly. i.e. You get the ruler to exactly where you want it and then squish it down! This not only minimises accidental errors, but it also helps to prevent softer materials from moving under a scalpel blade. A real game-changer! And of course when the tack wears out you can simply replace the tape.

This is what I used:

VERY sadly I think Letraset gave up making the stuff several years ago. And now I have very nearly run out.

Last time I looked I couldn't find a 3M /"Post-it" type tape that is dual tack.

J