Popular Woodworking 2006-04 № 154, страница 31
Endurance Test 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 close look, starting at the business end of the tool. The blade is unique. It's remarkably thin at just V32" 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 ABOUT OUR ENDURANCE TESTS Every tool featured in our Endurance Test column has survived at least two years of heavy use in our shop here at Popular Woodworking. marking awls) are zimply 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 iiii I . 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 l5/l6" 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. SPECIFICATIONS Blue Spruce No. 2 Small Marking Knife Street price: $40 Overall length: 67/s" Blade width: Vi6" Steel: A2, hardness of Rc 60-62 Options: A larger Blue Spruce marking knife with a V16" x V2" blade is available for $55. For more information: Blue Spruce Toolworks, bluesprucetoolworks.com or info@bluesprucetoolworks.com 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 proj ect, its excellent workmanship will encourage you to bring your own work to that high level. PW — Christopher Schwarz popularwoodworking.com i 29 |
