New LV striking/marking knives -- low budget version of Blue Spruce?

[Chris Griggs]

I'm pretty tempted to order a set of these. I have a fairly inexpensive pfiel knife that I am misplacing constantly. Though I must admit despite the fact that I have multiple pencils I can never seem to find one of those when I need it either.

These also look to have a longer blade than my pfiel which would be nice in some situations. I like the idea of coloring the handles, not just for safety, but again, because it might make it slightly easier to find when I set it down somewhere stupid.

[Erik Manchester]

I picked up a set of the marking knives last night when I picked up a set of PM11 chisels that I have been waiting a few years for. I have an older set of red-handles Bergs that will be looking for a new keeper now that I have the Veritas chisels. I think I will take one of the marking knives apart and turn a wooden handle for it. As George said, the three A2 blades are worth $20 alone, but the aesthetics of a wooden handle do count for something.

[bob blakeborough]

You don't need much to mark dovetails. A pocket knife will do.

But if you want more, take a piece of steel and sharpen it the way you want - single bevel or "double bevel" (as the LV one is) - then put a couple of pieces of wood around it and you have a marking knife. The steel doesn't need to be exceptional because it's just a marking knife. But if it gets dull, you can resharpen it.

Agree, makes me wonder how DTs were made couple of hundred years ago.

They would just gnaw on the edge of the wood. Who needs a knife when you have teeth?

Really though, some people just like nice tools and don't mind buying them. Does it matter?

[Derek Cohen]

I picked up a set of the marking knives last night when I picked up a set of PM11 chisels that I have been waiting a few years for. I have an older set of red-handles Bergs that will be looking for a new keeper now that I have the Veritas chisels. I think I will take one of the marking knives apart and turn a wooden handle for it. As George said, the three A2 blades are worth $20 alone, but the aesthetics of a wooden handle do count for something.

Hi Erik

The profile of the knife handles looks good- so why not just add wooden scales to the flat cheeks?

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Erik Manchester]

Derek,

Thanks for the suggestion, I may just do that as I have quite a few small offcut pieces of Gabon ebony from the local exotic wood retailler that could be used for that purpose.

[Christian Castillo]

If the black color is such a big deal, I don't see why it can't be remedied with two strips of paints tape on the handle, its not like the tape would detract from the knifes "magnificient" nylon handle .

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

If the black color is such a big deal, I don't see why it can't be remedied with two strips of paints tape on the handle, its not like the tape would detract from the knifes "magnificient" nylon handle .

Just make sure you use something other than yellow and green if you're hanging out with Steve Branam from Closegrain.com

[Kenneth Speed]

David wrote, "Oh, and you can make one a whole lot uglier than LV's if you really want to push the limits of tastelessness. You can literally hammer one into soft pine, slap another piece of pine on the second side, put it together with a glom of epoxy and then sand (gah!!) the outside of it so there are no sharp edges.

Or take the whole glued together unit to a belt sander or belt grinder and do all sorts of filthy and immoral things to shape it that no hand tool woodworker would ever show someone."



David, When were you watching me make a knife?


Ken

[Kenneth Speed]

I wanted to correct myself, I was looking in the new Lee Valley catalog I just received and I see that they still seem to sell the double edged striking knife I mentioned or one very similar. It costs roughly $25.00 and if it the same quality as the one I've had for years it's a real bargain in my opinion.


Ken

[Salem Ganzhorn]

My favorite marking knife is made from some children's scizors that broke at the joint. I ground a point with two bevels on one side and lapped the bottom flat. I also made a poor excuse of a handle for it. It is truely an embarrassing to see. But it works great!!!
So I agree, you can make a marking knife out of most anything!
Salem