Modern Day Mortise Gauge

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

It seems like the knives in the Kinshiro type gauge could be more easily made by a hobbyist if you did a two-piece manufacture, like the larger cutters for the Veritas router plane. I don't know the best way one would do this, but it's just a thought. Being able to nestle two cutters inside of each other is really the bit that makes it a little more difficult, I suppose.

[Randy Karst]

This posting has changed my thinking about marking gauges, and, to some degree, about Japanese woodworking tools; let me explain: I have various marking gauges including a couple vintage Stanley #61 & 62 pin gauges, a Drake Tite-Mark, and a Hamilton 4” marking gauge. In my experience, none of them has been the pinnacle. Now, with regard to Japanese woodworking tools, I have not gotten along well with the few I have tried before and thus had pretty much written them-off as a whole. Derek’s posting stating that if he could only have one marking gauge, it would be his Kinshiro was a bold statement; I decided to look closure. I considered the greater registry (fence) of a Japanese style-marking gauge and the different cutting geometry and someone here had suggested a real world priced Japanese gauge at Japan Woodworker. Gauge #15.260.2 ($45.00) arrived early this week. Out of the box, I liked it immediately in spite of its fairly rough fit and finish. I honed and fettled the blades to a better degree, then sanded, oiled, (waited) and waxed the wood-nice. While it certainly is not in the league of a Kinshiro I imagine, nonetheless, I am enjoying using it and it may become my go-to marking gauge. The greater registry and the blade geometry work quite well together-very positive; perhaps because these are not bi-directional markers the cutting edge(s) engages the wood fibers more readily. Next thoughts: What can I sell to get into a Kinshiro? Alternatively, how do I go about obtaining or making the Japanese style blades for my own build?