NSK brand measuring tools

In my machining career I have only purchased measuring tools that are Starrett, Mitutoyo, or Brown and Sharpe. But I found a used depth mic at a rummage sale and it has proven to work well. It is NSK brand, made in Japan. It has a good feel and it holds calibration. What has been your experience with this brand and is this make still on the market? Is it worth buying other NSK stuff?

FrozenNorth said:

In my machining career I have only purchased measuring tools that are Starrett, Mitutoyo, or Brown and Sharpe. But I found a used depth mic at a rummage sale and it has proven to work well. It is NSK brand, made in Japan. It has a good feel and it holds calibration. What has been your experience with this brand and is this make still on the market? Is it worth buying other NSK stuff?

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Mitutoyo has never NOT had "local" competion in Japan. NSK, Peacock, etc. Decent stuff, second-tier ..or maybe not so much?


Names get "re-used" and co-opted. Here's an example of a website that just doesn't reflect older and wider history in related industrial products. One would have to spread a wider net, dig history, find the "real" NSK, and then track the keidanren they are part of [1]:

http://www.nskinstrument.com/ABOUT_Und_US/5aa9db77dbdc9b0d6efd8eca

Or just go by what evidence is in your hand?



I just like Mitutoyo BETTER. Superb finish. And perhaps because I've never once had to WORRY about them - could just get on with USING anything as had their name on it?

Not as big a deal as all that.

I've avoided Starrett as over-hyped for easily 60 years but have "some" Starrett goods in with B&S, P&W, Scherr, Hamilton, Dorsey, Dearborn Gage, Cadillac Gage, Herman, DoAll, Weber...Mauser, Mahr, Polish and French - even East German and Russian goods..

..and also some right-decent Chinese-made manual mics as are good enough to be users AND "keepers".

Otherwise? "Kleenex class" disposable Chinese DTI's and more than one "grade" of calipers, some of which I'd shed no tears at all over if crushed, dropped, or gone coolant-soggy.

Whatever WORKS good IS good..

Having "grades" cheap enough to risk a bit of rough and tumble whilst the "good stuff" is held for more demanding work done slowly makes a bit of practical sense.

JF use 'em. Even use 'em UP. They be TOOLS, not sainted monuments, the lot of 'em.




[1] Japanese companies and banks make Mafia families look simple. Good friend from Japan once said of my "sBARRu" DL1800 "same-same company make Japanese fighter plane "Oscar" World War Two!"

"Yeah, well Tadashi San, you did LOSE that war didn't yah?" Fugabuncha speedo-cable operated CLUTCHES!

I have lots of NSK stuff,mikes ,verniers ,bore gauges etc....all bought in the sixties when I had plenty of money....Very nicely made.,and obviously long lasting.Havent seen the brand in years ...its Mitsi or Chinesium now.

I have a assortment of NSK stuff and as said damm good,but not quite B&S or Mitutoyo .

I also have a few NSK mikes like new.Real nice,as good as any.If you can buy them at a reasonable price go for it, you won't be disappointed.

I like NSK dial calipers. They read .100 inch per revolution on the dial, and they have coarse metric graduations (by millimeter) on the beam as well. That is handy when working on my motorcycles and bicycles. And it doesn't need batteries like the inch/metric Mitutoyo that I always forget to turn off.

I'm on my 2nd NSK dial caliper. I would definitely buy another. Also have an NSK 2-3 inch .0001 micrometer. Nice tool.

Can't go wrong w/ NSK, IMHO.

The NSK micrometers I've owned have seem near identical to Mitutoyo in terms of the precison and chromed parts, but with rougher castings for the frames. Doubt I've seen anything made recently with the NSK name.

Here, for example, are NSK (gray frame) and Mitutoyo (blue frame) mics - virtually identical save the castings and frame color: Vintage Micrometer Joblot 2" 3" 4" 5" Starrett NSK Mitutoyo | eBay

There's the same resemblance in NSK and Mitutoyo mechanical digital micrometers - the main difference being rougher frame castings in the NSK. I'd assumed that either NSK copied the design or bought things like spindles out of a Mitutoyo facility? Both brands maybe part of the same keiretsu?

NSK was also the brand sold in the US through Fowler, Snap-on, etc.

Had a NSK brand lathe live center. was a good'un.

JH

I have a set of 6"-12" NSK micrometers, seem to be pretty good quality tools. I believe Fowler, General tool and probably others marketed them with their logo on them.

PeteM said:

The NSK micrometers I've owned have seem near identical to Mitutoyo in terms of the precison and chromed parts, but with rougher castings for the frames. Doubt I've seen anything made recently with the NSK name.

Here, for example, are NSK (gray frame) and Mitutoyo (blue frame) mics - virtually identical save the castings and frame color: Vintage Micrometer Joblot 2" 3" 4" 5" Starrett NSK Mitutoyo | eBay

There's the same resemblance in NSK and Mitutoyo mechanical digital micrometers - the main difference being rougher frame castings in the NSK. I'd assumed that either NSK copied the design or bought things like spindles out of a Mitutoyo facility? Both brands maybe part of the same keiretsu?

NSK was also the brand sold in the US through Fowler, Snap-on, etc.

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Hi Pete,
What do you think about Nsk digitrix II micrometers. I can find one unused for 100$. Does it really worth it? or Should I buy a analog mitutoyo micrometer?

I have a few NSK items I find them absolutely average.