Shop-made Marking Knives

A marking knife is a simple tool that every woodworker needs for accurate scribing and cutting of joinery. There is a wide variety of marking knives available, ranging from a $250 kiridashi handmade by Japanese artisans to a $10 tool bought on the Internet. Although a high-end blade can be well worth the money, there is a sense of pride that comes from making and using your own tools. The marking knife outlined in my process is, of course, no comparison to blades made by master craftsmen, but for $3.50 and a few hours of time, it is a trusted tool that performs well for me.

I was first introduced to handmade marking knives while studying under Tak Yoshino at the Mount Fuji School of Fine Woodworking in Yamanashi, Japan. He had made marking knives for his students out of some dull jigsaw blades he had lying around. When it came time for me to teach a class of my own, I decided to make a set of marking knives for my students just