Marking Gauge Question

[Andrew Kertesz]

I find myself in the need of a marking gauge. I know there are a million different types and styles. My biggest question is; "What type works better for a wide range of hardwoods; pin, knife or wheel"? Is there any brand I should avoid or that someone would recommend?

[Jay Jolliffe]

I've tried them all & ended up with the Tite- Mark which is a wheel...Don't really know why. Maybe it was easier for me to use...

[John Coloccia]

I like the wheel one best, but I also have a knife one. I like the knife one as a cutting gauge. I can cut veneer and thinner wood....anything under maybe 1/8". I nearly always mark with my Veritas wheel gauge. I do think the Tite Marks gauge is a little bit nicer for a lot more money. The Tite Marks fine adjustment is nice. If you get the Veritas, don't bother with the fine adjust version...get the cheap one.. It's completely unnecessary and doesn't work well anyhow. The hash marks are pretty useless too.

The pin style is OK too but just not as nice, and doesn't mark as well on many woods.

[Cary Falk]

Deleted. I thought you were talking marking knives. Need to read closer

[Ellen Benkin]

Another vote for the wheel. I have the Tite Mark only because it was the first one out. I find it much easier to use than the pin types.

[Steve Friedman]

I am a novice, so my experience may not be typical. I have a few older wooden pin marking gauges, but never liked them. Based on everything I had read, I broke down and bought a Tite-Marks. It was light years better than anything I had been using, but I always wished it had a larger surface area to register against the wood.

After reading Derek's article on Japanese style cutting gauges, I bought a 6" Hamilton marking gauge and used it for the first time yesterday. WOW! What a revelation. I had read that cutting gauges are really best for cross grain marking, but I used it to thickness dimension a piece of wood and am not sure that I will ever use anything else. It was so much easier to register flatly against the wood than the wheel gauge.

Just my experience.

Steve

[Stew Hagerty]

Wheel here too. I have a Rob Cosman's from Woodcraft with the mortise attachment and a love it. It slides very smooth for precise adjustment. And the mortise attachment works perfectly, although assembly could be easier.
http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2081235/30474/rob-cosmans-marking-gauge.aspx

[glenn bradley]

I've tried pins, knives and wheels and prefer the wheel but, the wheel must take and hold an edge. The first one I bought was an inexpensive model (Shop Fox version at Rockler for about $12) as I was in your position of not knowing if it was right for me. The wheel wouldn't hold an edge and the retaining screw did not set flush with the wheel-top making it poor for transferring dimensions. Once I'd found my preference I bought the LV imperial graduated version. The marks on the shaft are used more as a delta reference than as a ruler for me but, I do enjoy having them and would recommend a version that has this feature if it comes on the style you choose.

[Steve Baumgartner]

I also have a Tite-mark and love it. Aside from the initial cost, one thing to be aware of is that the wheel can be chipped fairly easily, so always retract it in to the base when not in use. IMHO, a pin-type is the worst choice. It tends to tear rather than cut or score the wood, even if you file a flat on one side. I sometimes use a knife-type if I need a really deep mark, as the wheel type is limited by design.

[Dale Cruea]

I have several of most types. I like the wheel type from Rob Cosman the best. I have both, the single marking gauge and the mortise marking gauge.
I have several I made from Exacto blades that work OK for somethings. I use whatever works best for whatever I am doing at the time.
When I am hand planing a board for thickness I use the pin type. It leaves a big line I can see and when I get down to the line I can see the small bevel it leaves when done.
For dovetails I like to use either my home made Exacto blade gauge or my wheel gauge. A knife seems to work better here.
For mortise I use my wheel gauge. The flat sides of the wheels are to the inside so you can put your mortise chisel in and set the gauge exactly to that width.
I don't think one gauge works best for all things.

[Van Huskey]

I prefer the wheel type. I have had the Veritas and a Titemark, sold the Veritas and kept the Tite Mark ONLY because the latter was a gift, if I was buying again from scratch I would just get the Veritas (I have the double Veritas still) since it is cheaper and I personally don't see the TM as that much better though if they were priced the same I would get the TM.

[John Coloccia]

I remember the Cosman one being very heavy. That might be an advantage.