: I agree that it is easier to miss-read and also to miss-remember in
: metric, especially as one's eyesight starts to go. these days I
: find myself feeling for irregularities where previously I used
: to just see them.

: Et

Same problem here; it's easy to get lost in all the closely spaced identical marks; with an Imperial ruler 1/32ths are smaller than 1/16ths which are smaller than 1/8ths etc and you can grope your way to the one you want. I can work with 1/64ths easier than mm's for this reason but 1/128ths are beyond me now (I'm 72).

I've seen old designs that display a dimension like 11/32" in a semi-binary representation like 5+ (basic unit 1/16) or even 2++ (basic unit 1/8) . . . very easy to use once your used to it; those designers obviously had a building background! Metric users will never appreciate the nuances of that system, and it can make math difficult; I have to admit if you need to add or subtract a column of dimensions shown like that the metric systems starts to look attractive. When I was at school I had a metric scale with the even mm's shown as dots; English of course, haven't seen one for a half-century (ouch) but it sure would be nice to have now.

Incidentally I was a techie and did a lot of digital electronics designs so working with binary numbers is familiar.

The controversy between Metric and Imperial raged for months in the Boat Design Forum; it never gets settled . . . both systems have their advantages and in the end it's what you are used to. I use either, doesn't bother me, metric is nicer for working on paper and Imperial is nice for working on wood, which pretty well sums up where they originated.