Customer Reviews

Starrett C434-12-4R Combination Set with Square, Center and Reversing Protractor and Satin Chrome blade

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(0)
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This is a very high quality precision instrument that will
provide years of reliable service. It has very well defined,
clearly legible, engraved markings as fine as 1/64".
I used one extensively years ago and took the quality granted.
The past few years I've been purchasing and using lower cost
competitor's models. (Bad decision) It's not that the other
models are vastly inferior, because generally, they're fairly close.
If you don't use a tool like this very often, you may not notice the difference.
Even if you do, it may take a while to notice the true benefits.
The precision and accuracy help minimize the small, cumulative errors that
build up and finally reveal themselves late in the assembly process.
This is an investment in error avoidance.
To me, that's worth every penny.

after trying out several brands, I decided to give this one a try. I am impressed with the build quality and precision feel of this instrument. All markings are clear, movement is very smooth, rule is table top flat, unlike the cheaper variety. The built-in scriber is truly heavy-duty. Highly recommended for woodworking!

If you want the best - this is it. I've worked machine shop and layout work in the plant where I've been employed the last 27 years, and I've found that if a combination set isn't made by Brown & Sharp or Starrett, it probably isn't accurate. You may think that a tool of this price and caliber is not suited for woodworking, but that's not true. I use one in my wood shop at home and wouldn't be without it. This particular model has the satin chrome finish on the blade, which isn't prone to rust, tarnish, or discoloration. It also has the reversing protractor which is a big help in laying out angles. It is especially useful in laying out miters and compound miters on structural material ( 2x4's, etc.). Buy one, learn to use it correctly, take care of it, and it will last you a lifetime - it's worth every penny of the purchase price.

I have a Mitutoyo set that I have been using for 5 years and thought there was none better out there.I ordered the Starret set for work and when it arrived I was impressed and I immediately began checking it out against the highest accuracy precission ground square and the square head and the protractor(set at 90) where dead on. This is a great tool! My only gripe is that it came in a cardboard box. Doesn't a great tool deserve a great case? I guess Starret doesn't think so and now I will spend a good couple of days building it a proper home. Come on... would a nice wooden box have added that much to the price?

You can spend your money on the cheaper Empire or Stanley combo squares available at Home Depot/Lowes. You'll then spend the rest of your time squinting trying to read the things. The satin chrome finish on the Starrett rules make them worth twice their cost. Glare-free, easy-to-read, and exceptionally accurate, these Starrett tools are lifetime tools. Look on Ebay, and you'll see Starrett squares that are 50+ years old going for top dollar. These are the finest squares available.

As a cabinetmaker, I use my Starrett squares for layout work all day, every day. Of all my hand tools, this square has brought me the most unqualified performance and enjoyment of any tool I own. The action is smooth, the gradients on the rule and protractor are precise and clear, and the quality is beyond compare. This is typical of all Starrett products. Starrett is not flashy and not given to gimmicky marketing tricks. They just produce top quality tools. Period. Precise measurements and layouts make all the difference in woodworking and machining, and you will get what you pay for. I would recommend any Starrett product.

For maximum versatility, consider purchasing a 24" rule to go with your square (McMaster-Carr, $73). It is interchangeable with the 12" rule supplied with this kit. It allows extra measurement range and I use mine almost exclusively. You might also consider getting a smaller square, like a 6". Experiment with your squares, and you'll be amazed at everything you can do with them. You can measure inside dimensions of cabinet openings, run parallel lines, and a million other things. Easily the most useful tool you'll ever own. What else can I say? Starrett is good old American quality built in Massachusetts. Yankee ingenuity at its best.

It took a little research to figure out that there are a couple of levels of quality that Starrett manufactures in these tools. This is the better 434 series - the square heads and center heads are forged, hardened steel with smooth, black enamel finish, vice the cast iron heads of the 435 series. This version also has the chrome satin rule, which is nice, too.

This is *the* top of the line when it comes to combination sets. It is perfectly accurate and easy to read. It will provide many decades of service. The only fault I see is that the set doesn't come with a case.

I purchased my first Starrett Combo Square-used- in Athol, Mass in 1978 from a 75 year old, retired Starrett machinist who restored old tools and sold them fom his garage, just blocks from the plant. That tool remained the benchmark against all other tools in my shop until several years ago when I purchased a new forged steel Combo with the satin chrome finish. The satin chrome finish makes it easier to see the gradations on the rule but is otherwise unchanged from the high quality of my +50 year old version.
Both sit on the shelf in the shop and both are a pleasure to use. I cannot overstate the fine quality and functionality of this extraordinarily well made tool.
If you are at all considering purchasing a Combo Square, spring for the Starrett. This tool is worth every bit of the cost and will elevate the quality of the work you do; in fact, merely holding this finely made product in your hands will elevate the quality of your work.
It is gratifying to find that an American tool company is still practicing and refining what it learned 100 years ago...

I love this tool. The feel in your hand as it slides and the sweet accuracy make you want to weep tears of gratitude for spending the considerable extra dough and treating yourself to a top-notch tool. Thank God the name Starrett still means something in this age of disgraced, formerly-glorious American tool names.

I have a custom cabinet business; have had my "Used" Starretts that I bought 2nd or 10th hand (you choose)some 17 years ago; inherrited a 9" combo from my grandfather-in-law (who was a tool and die maker during the depression) and it's still as accurate as my others; I use them to check accuracy of the cheaper "engineer's squares" (though, who would dare use one if they have a Starrett); and have NEVER bought a brand spankin' new one, as these are all I need.

Why did I spring for one? ... Countless errors later after using my "hardware store" Home Cheapo type, I decided I'd like to keep what little hair I have left.

Reach for no other, because there simply is no other.

(By the way, GET the 4 inch! You'll use that even more because it fits in your pocket!)