Nowadays we have two main types of taps: with first you should turn around the handle to get some water:

.. or lift a lever if you have the second type: Most widely used turning valves are: those you can turn 90 degrees angle, 180 degrees and multi-turn ones.

Regardless of manufacturer, it’s impossible or quite difficult to get thin water flow having a levered tap. Reasons:

1. You operate turning handle with wrist or fingers whilst you lift up the lever with the whole arm. Arm is less precise tool.

2. If we compare either linear or angular path the handle goes between 0% and 100% flow, we can see that the path for the lever is shorter than turning tap, whilst it’s always easier to, let’s say, mark 1/10 of kilometer than 1/10 of millimeter with necessary precision.

If we compare levered and multi-turn taps the difference will be even more significant.

So, why levered taps are so widely used? It is easier to turn levered tap on or off if you don’t care about how much water you’ll use. Also, multi-turn taps rubber pads term of life is  shorter than half/quarter turning valves, however honest manufacturer is able to make ones which will work for years.

So next time when you’ll choose a new tap you have to decide what is more important for you: to save water and reduce utility bill or something else.