(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)
I love tools that have more than one function, especially simple ones. Readers and writers need bookmarks, planners and artists need rulers, and everyone needs a good paperclip from time to time. This thin strip of aluminum serves so many needs.
While the Hightide Clip Ruler isn't a new concept, this is a well-designed execution of a clip-ruler-bookmark. The aluminum is thin but sturdy. The ruler markings go all the way to the edge of the ruler for easy measuring. The clip has a slight swoop at the end for easy sliding onto pages, and it clips with just the right amount of grip. It doesn't fall out or slide around, but it's easy to slide on or remove without scraping the paper. It narrows slightly also.
The finish is nice and smooth, so it works great as a straight-edge. The clip does get in the way of the pen or pencil slightly when using it as a straight-edge for drawing lines, so it only works along the 10cm length where the markings are. As a ruler, it has cm and half-cm on one side and cm and mm on the other. There are no inch markings, so it may not work for you if that's your preferred unit of measurement.
It does make a good bookmark, though I found the fold at the top of the clip to be a bit thick. That works great if you're using it to clip pages together, but it does create a gap that leaves marks on your paper if you're only clipping it over a page or three. It also leaves a lump in your book. It works much better if you clip it over a larger clump of pages, to fill the available space in the clip.
The $9 price tag does feel a little high for a plain clip ruler. There are similar products available for much less, and much fancier ones for only slightly more. But if you don't want fancy, and the plainness is part of the appeal, this is a good quality piece.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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