A tape measure comprising: a take-up drum supported by supporting shafts (1a, 2a) disposed inside a case (1, 2) such that said take-up drum is free to rotate, and around whose circumference a measuring tape is wound, a take-up spring for supplying impetus that causes the take-up drum to rotate in the direction of retracting the measuring tape, bearings (3a, 4a) which are disposed on said take-up drum, have diameters larger than the diameters of said supporting shafts (1a, 2a), and enable the take-up drum to move in the radial direction of the supporting shafts (1a, 2a), braking members (1c, 2c) disposed on the inside wall of the case (1, 2) to apply braking force to the rotation of the take-up drum by the contact between said braking members and outer circumferential parts of the take-up drum when a user's hand is released from the measuring tape after finishing measurement and the measuring tape is automatically taken up into the case (1, 2) by the accumulated force of the take-up spring and the outer circumferential parts of the take-up drum contact with the braking members (1c, 2c), so that the frictional force between the outer circumferential parts of the take-up drum and the braking members (1c, 2c) reduce the rotational speed of the take-up drum, characterized by an operation member disposed on the case (1, 2) to be pressed by the user's hand into the inside of the case (1, 2) when the measuring tape is released after finishing measurement and the braking force is insufficient thereby to cause the take-up drum to move in the radial direction of the supporting shafts (1a, 2a), and thereby force the take-up drum to move in one direction of the inside wall of the case (1, 2), and tape lock means (32, 31) situated in said case (1, 2) for applying braking force to the measuring tape pulled out of said take-up drum to the outside of said case (1, 2) against the impetus of the take-up spring so as to maintain the length of the pulled-out measuring tape, and for fixing the measuring tape. a take-up drum supported by supporting shafts (1a, 2a) disposed inside a case (1, 2) such that said take-up drum is free to rotate, and around whose circumference a measuring tape is wound, a take-up spring for supplying impetus that causes the take-up drum to rotate in the direction of retracting the measuring tape, bearings (3a, 4a) which are disposed on said take-up drum, have diameters larger than the diameters of said supporting shafts (1a, 2a), and enable the take-up drum to move in the radial direction of the supporting shafts (1a, 2a), braking members (1c, 2c) disposed on the inside wall of the case (1, 2) to apply braking force to the rotation of the take-up drum by the contact between said braking members and outer circumferential parts of the take-up drum when a user's hand is released from the measuring tape after finishing measurement and the measuring tape is automatically taken up into the case (1, 2) by the accumulated force of the take-up spring and the outer circumferential parts of the take-up drum contact with the braking members (1c, 2c), so that the frictional force between the outer circumferential parts of the take-up drum and the braking members (1c, 2c) reduce the rotational speed of the take-up drum, characterized by an operation member disposed on the case (1, 2) to be pressed by the user's hand into the inside of the case (1, 2) when the measuring tape is released after finishing measurement and the braking force is insufficient thereby to cause the take-up drum to move in the radial direction of the supporting shafts (1a, 2a), and thereby force the take-up drum to move in one direction of the inside wall of the case (1, 2), and tape lock means (32, 31) situated in said case (1, 2) for applying braking force to the measuring tape pulled out of said take-up drum to the outside of said case (1, 2) against the impetus of the take-up spring so as to maintain the length of the pulled-out measuring tape, and for fixing the measuring tape.