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Learn How. Discover Why. Build Better. - Christopher Schwarz
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Endurance Test by Christopher
Schwarz
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Blue Spruce Marking Knife
- Handmade and perfect in every detail
When people ask for my
recommendation on almost any kind of tool, I attempt to give
them several choices: I’ll recommend Tool A if you’re this kind
of woodworker; Tool B if you’re another kind of woodworker.
However, this is not the case when
it comes to marking knives. I have only one recommendation: Buy
a marking knife from Blue Spruce Toolworks of Oregon City, Ore.
In the last decade I have used more
than a dozen different marking knives from all over the globe –
some antique, some newly manufactured, some shop-made. After I
sharpen them and force myself to use them for a month or so, I
put them in the top left drawer of my tool cabinet with all my
other marking knives.
My fingers always go back to pick
up the Blue Spruce for my day-to-day work. It’s not just because
it’s an attractive and shiny tool (though it has good looks in
spades), it’s because it is perfectly suited to so many tasks,
is well-balanced and well-made by hand. It is the embodiment of
what I try to achieve when I build a piece of furniture.
I know you’re probably thinking,
“Yeah, right. What could be so special about a piece of steel in
a stick?” Let’s take a lose look, starting at the business end
of the tool.
The blade is unique. It’s
remarkably thin at just 1 ⁄32" thick and stiff. Why is thinner
better? If you cut dovetails you already know the answer – the
thin profile allows you to sneak into the tightest dovetails to
mark the mating section of the joint. Most knives (and marking
awls) are simply too thick to get into London-pattern dovetails.
The spear-point shape of the cutting edge is also a big
advantage when dovetailing. It allows you to mark on the left
and right side of a tail or pin without resorting to another
knife. Put the flat side of the blade against the joint and mark
– you don’t need to tip the knife like you do with an X-Acto or
jack knife.
The blade is just the right length
– it’s 15⁄16" from the ferrule to the tip. That length allows
you to reach into deep places some knives won’t go. And, as I
mentioned earlier, the blade is quite stiff – this is thanks to
the two brass ferrules on the tool, which lend a bit of extra
(and needed) support.
Another sometimes-overlooked detail is the angle of the spear
point itself. The two edges form a 55° angle on the latest
version of the Blue Spruce. This is a good balance. Knives with
higher angles work better for marking dados and tenons. The
lower angles work better for dovetailing, allowing you to apply
more downward pressure as you mark your joints. The middling
angle works well for both operations.
The handle of the knife is
available in a variety of woods. Cocobolo and rosewood are the
standard choices, though Dave Jeske, the owner and maker, is
happy to customize a handle’s shape or species.
And that detail is one of the other
delights of this tool. Each knife is made to order by one
person, a long-time woodworker who does excellent work. The
handle is an exquisite piece of turning and finishing. The blade
comes well sharpened and ready to use.
I cannot say that the knife will
make you a better woodworker, but it sure feels like it does.
The Blue Spruce marks more precisely than any pencil, and as you
pick up the tool for the hundredth time during a project, its
excellent workmanship will encourage you to bring your own work
to that high level. PW
— Christopher Schwarz
Editor -
Popular Woodworking
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Christopher is a long-time amateur woodworker and
professional journalist. He built his first workbench at
age 8 and spent weekends helping his father build two
houses on the family's farm outside Hackett, Ark.
He has journalism degrees from Northwestern University
and The Ohio State University and has worked as a
magazine and newspaper journalist since 1990. |
Copyright 2006 Popular Woodworking, used with permission.
