Convert nail (cloth) to fathom (US survey) Online | Free Length Converter

Nail (Cloth)

A nail is a traditional unit of length used in cloth measurement, equal to 2¼ inches or approximately 5.715 centimeters. It was commonly used by tailors and fabric merchants in England to measure small lengths of fabric.

The term “nail” likely originates from the practice of marking lengths on a measuring stick with notches or nails, making it easy to measure fabric quickly. The nail was a convenient subdivision of the yard, with 1 yard = 16 nails.

Though obsolete today, the nail remains an interesting part of historical textile measurement systems.

Summary:

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  1 nail = 2¼ inches (5.715 cm)

  
  
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  1 yard = 16 nails

  
  
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  Used historically in tailoring and fabric trade

  
  
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  Originates from notches or nails on measuring sticks

  
  

Fathom (US Survey)

The fathom (US survey) is a unit of length used in U.S. surveying and nautical contexts, defined as exactly 6 US survey feet. Since one US survey foot is approximately 0.3048006096 meters, the US survey fathom measures about 1.828804 meters.

Like the international fathom, it is primarily used to measure water depths and underwater distances in marine navigation and surveying.

Key details:

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  1 US survey fathom = 6 US survey feet

  
  
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  1 US survey fathom ≈ 1.828804 meters

  
  
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  1 fathom = 2 yards

  
  

Though the difference between the US survey fathom and the international fathom is very small, the US survey units are being phased out in favor of international standards, but they still appear in some legal and historical surveying documents.