Shinwa Japanese #19 Stainless Steel Protractor 0-180 degrees with Round Head

Appears to be very well made, especially for the price! 90 degrees is dead-on with a small machinist angle I compared it against, and 0/180 degrees was dead-on against a flat surface. Clamp works great. Numbers & lines are very readable. Just no complaints, should work great for me!

The accuracy seems excellent, the markings have maybe 0.1~0.2 degrees inaccuracy at most. The edge is perfectly flush at 180 and 0 degrees.One really nice and innovative feature I noticed is that the indicator arm with the measurement mark is ever so slightly bowed in the vertical plane, like a 0.05~0.1 millimetre and only makes contact with the protractor BEHIND the measuring arrow. This means that throughout use, as long as you don't overtighten the locknut while measuring, it will significantly reduce any wear on the indications and measurement marks since it's not making contact with them.The locknut holds the entire thing together so don't overloosen it, a small 1/4 or 1/3 turn is enough and provides that gap underneath. Very happy. No idea where it was made as the packaging doesn't actually mention on mine, but even if it's made in China it's pretty solid quality. Would have liked to have it made in Japan but oh well. The description is incredibly misleading though, the only Japanese thing about this is the brand behind it. Given that that's the only indication anywhere on this page for where it's made I find that misleading as anyone browsing (like me) would assume it's made there.

I was a bit disappointed with the accuracy; when set to zero on my surface plate it is about a line width off; maybe 1/4 degree. Still quite usable for most things, but still.... you can see a thou or three of slop in the pivot. The thumb screw lock seems to work well. The numbering is nice and bold and easy to read, but it is silk screened on, not etched into the metal, and they warn not to use thinner as "Thinner may takes away scale". Time will tell how durable the scale is.

I use this gauge all the time while in the wood shop.High quality and accurate readings.Highly recommend. As with other items arrived quickly and in perfect condition.

The first protractor I purchased was the one sold by Changda Technology. It was essentially junk, and the same price as the Shinwa.The Shinwa is a vastly superior product in every way. You can buy both just for the entertainment value to see the ridiculous difference between the two. If the Chinese Changda were to cost only $2 then I would say you were getting fair value for your money. At the same price as a real protractor its just a waste of time to buy and return. Yes, its made by a tool company in Illinois and yes, it gives the impression of being superior quality because of a Japanese name. But it is a good protractor

The Shinwa protractor is very accurate, and I love it. I did buy one of the very similar General protractors, but the Shinwa is much better and worth the extra cost if you value accuracy.

This is a decent protractor, but lacks a couple features that seem to be missing on the market It feels solid. I measured the gauge head and indicator bar at 3/64" thickness. The gauge, numbers, and indicator are all etched in. The finish is also good. No flash or sharp edges. There is maybe 1/1000" play in the fit of the indicator bar to the gauge head. Once clamped down, it is solid and holds the set angle.I looked on Amazon for a decent protractor with a round head, and a depth gauge which included both imperial and metric measurements. That doesn't seem to exist on Amazon or other sources. I think there would be a decent demand for that, but hey, what do I know?!

This works well, but hard to see the numbers on the protractor.