Thanks for that... I have aniGaging digital caliper which I've been delighted with - nicely made, dependably consistent, excellent battery life, good value and a good clear display. Only thing wrong with it is that I've currently mislaid it...

I didn't know that iGaging made a dial version - I could do with this to pack away in a 'travelling' tool kit and not have to worry about batteries.

I have a pair that looks to be exactly the same without the iGaging logo. Bought them from Highland Hardware decades ago. Just looked and they still carry the same ones.

1. So I’ve been thinking of retiring my beater Mitutoyo’s to the tool bag and buying a new pair.  But they’ll just get destroyed (and there’s really nothing wrong with them - for my purposes).

2. I thought maybe a bunch of $1.99 plastic calipers would suffice. 

3. Now I’m not saying iGaging is a step up from Almost Tools but this pair of calipers had some decent reviews and fits the bill for something I can throw in my bag unprotected and not worry too much if they get messed up. I’ll be fine if they last 6 months.

I also prefer to use dial calipers over digital. 

1. I'd retire that beater Mitutoyo to the shop rather than to the tool bag. They're constructed very nicely and will last you a life time. They also can become your go to "measuring standard" when you're not certain about the accuracy of the cheaper dial calipers.

2. All dial calipers have 2 major issues, the plastic dial cover scratches easily or it can easily fall off and the rack that moves the dial indicator hand pinion, can easily become contaminated with metal chips, dirt, dust...you name it. For those 2 reasons, I'd NEVER throw a dial caliper into a tool bag unprotected. These dial caliper sheaths, like the one shown, are made from stiff vinyl or leather and protect the caliper from its 2 main nemesis. They also take up little extra space in the bag as opposed to a plastic or wood case. The sheath also makes it easier to find the caliper in a crowded tool bag. They are universal in nature and will fit any dial caliper that you choose to purchase. Thus the Etalon caliper fits in the Helios sheath.

3. Again, throwing any caliper in a tool bag unprotected, no matter how inexpensive it is, is not a good idea. Murphy's law dictates that when you finally do need to use that caliper, it'll be in a non-functioning state. So, you've carried it around for months and now when you actually need it...it doesn't work. At that point it may have been better to carry a digital caliper instead, even though the battery is its Achilles heel, it would stand a better chance of surviving if carried unprotected. And replacing a dial caliper every 6 months seems like a bridge too far.   

Just my   

... I'd NEVER throw a dial caliper into a tool bag unprotected. These dial caliper sheaths, like the one shown, are made from stiff vinyl or leather and protect the caliper from its 2 main nemesis. They also take up little extra space in the bag as opposed to a plastic or wood case. The sheath also makes it easier to find the caliper in a crowded tool bag. They are universal in nature and will fit any dial caliper that you choose to purchase.

Perfect!  Caliper sheaths.  I had no clue.  Was perhaps going to find a narrow zipper pouch but you're right the tapered design and flap of the sheaths will make inserting them in a crowded bag a breeze as well as locating.  Thanks.

I bought a pair of combination metric/imperial dial calipers and they are awesome. The beam is graduated metric on top and imperial on the bottom, and the dial has one hand for each. Useful for conversions as well as measuring.

Speaking of metric calipers-  I have a cheap set that does both, and the mm scale is 2mm per rev on the dial. 

Are they all that way?  Or can you get some that are 1mm per rev?  IDK why, but I find it distracting trying to count half-revs on the way up....

Yes, if the outer scale covers 1/10” then the inner will have to cover 2mm. Just trust the linear mm scale. It’s easy to tell if you’re closer to the exposed increment or the next, then check the needle position.