Utility/craft blades for marking knives?

[Monte Milanuk]

This is probably a blatant newbie question, but what the heck ;)

I've been gifted a couple marking knives over the last few years... one a Lee Valley double-bevel spear point knife, and the other a Narex. Neither seem particular sharp to begin with, and have been kind of a PITA to sharpen after the fact (what can I say, I suck at free-hand sharpening).

I've watched a few videos (Paul Sellars, Matt Estlea) and noted the knives they were using seemed to be relatively simple craft knives with disposable blades - awesome! Except those particular models are a bit harder to come by here stateside :confused:

Out of frustration the other day when I was practicing some cuts in the shop, I grabbed a folding utility knife (https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-10-855-Folding-Utility-Knife/dp/B0050PI78M/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1548515590&sr=8-15&keywords=stanley+folding+knife) that I'd picked up on a whim at the box store some time back. With a fresh blade, and being a little more skinny up front than most utility knives, it felt great and more importantly, for the first time I actually felt like I was really slicing a line across the fibers without having to bear down on the tool.

Which got me wondering... is there a reason *not* to use a utility or craft knife for marking lines? Something I'm missing here, besides being razor sharp all the time, easy to make sharp again (pitch the old blade and install a new one), and generally cheaper than anything short of a home-made marking knife?

[Derek Cohen]

It depends what you are marking.

I've designed and made many marking knives over the years. For most marking out I just use a Stanley of the type Sellars uses. However, this is a bevelled blade, and for dovetail marking it is better to use a blade with a flat back. Get both.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Nicholas Lawrence]

Most utility knives are sharpened on both sides. If you just plop your square down, and then put the knife against it, the mark will be off by the width of the bevel. If you are marking both ends of a board, your length will be off by about the thickness of the blade. Not a lot, but all the little things add up over the course of a project.

One technique that helps is to put the knife where you want the mark, and then bring the square to the knife. I think this is good practice even with a marking knife.

A marking knife is only beveled on one side, so the side you put against the square is flat (no bevel) and the edge is “right” next to the square.

[Richard Line]

I can feel for you about sharpening a marking knife, however it is easier than you think. I sharpen mine by just honing the back (flat) side by laying it flat on the stone and moving it back and forth. I typically don't bother with the beveled side.

[Warren Mickley]

I have used a double bevel marking knife for over forty years. I am currently using a craft knife.

Some of the squares I use are made of wood; I think it is better for the tongue not to mark with the bevel right against the tongue of the square. Save your money for more important tools.

[Tony Wilkins]

Technically anything with a sharp point could be used as a marking knife. Follsenbee uses an awl for everything and Kirby uses a regular pocket knife in his Dovetail book. I suspect that at points in history those were very common. My free advice, worth exactly what you pay for it, is that you should use what’s comfortable as long as you aware of it’s quirks. And that means especially adjusting to the double bevel if what you use has that.

[Jim Koepke]

If it works for your needs it is fine.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

Here are some options,

https://www.homedepot.com/s/box%2520cutter?NCNI-5

[chris carter]

A $5 dollar craft knife is much fancier than mine. I took an old steak knife, snapped off the blade around 2 inches, drew a new blade shape and ground it down. I have yet to find anything more comfortable in the hand. And when it needs to be sharpened, I just use the kitchen knife sharpener!

[Phil Mueller]

I use a couple of different xacto knives almost exclusively. I’ve tried many different marking knives and I always go back to the xacto.

[Brian Eaton]

I've tried a few different marking knives and so far nothing beats
https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-18-mm-Metal-Body-Snap-Off-Knife-DWHT10038/202710464

I did buy a Paul Sellers style knife from amazon over Christmas with some gift card money but I still tend to prefer the snap off blade knife. Nothing beats the convenience (for me, anyway) of just sniping off the dull segment and getting right back to work with a sharp blade. The Sellers type knife is fine, but replacement blades are expensive if you don't resharpen the original blade.1

[Ted Phillips]

I got the Stanley 10-049 folding craft knife that Paul uses and have been very happy with it. The stanley replacement blades are very expensive. Paul pointed out that the knife also uses a standard disposable blade that is sold in bulk as surgeon's scalpel blades. A box of 50 replacement blades cost about $20. I'm set for a very long time.

[Jim Koepke]

Technically, two of my marking knives have a Stanley blade:

402208

The top and bottom knives were made from the same old plane blade.

The one in the middle was made from a piece of saw blade.

jtk

[Bob Glenn]

If you're in a hurry, grab the chisel on your bench.

[Jake Rothermel]

I have a couple of dedicated marking knives (all of which I love, btw) and more often than not, I find I reach for [one of] my OLFA knives (https://olfa.com/professional/product/18mm-all-purpose-heavy-duty-auto-lock-utility-knife-bn-al/), but it's just a fancy Not-Stanley/DeWalt brand of snap-off knife like the ones linked to above. I can't say that I've ever noticed the offset of a double bevel blade being a serious problem for my joinery but that doesn't mean it's' not there (though the joints I've laid out with the OLFA have always managed to be tight, maybe I've just been lucky). I suspect there are ways of working around a double-bevel knife as a layout tool later on in something like parring, etc. ...?

Anything can work, so use what's comfortable in your hand and what makes sense to you, right? Period.

[lowell holmes]

Actually, you can rotate the handle of the utility knife until the side of the blade against the try square is vertical.

[James Pallas]

I’ve used xacto #24 blades for years. I grind the back to a single bevel. #11s are okay but a little light and sharp tipped will follow grain on occasion. I have other knives to use. These are no worry knives. If they get damaged you just toss them. I have one right and one left. I think I been using the same blades for at least 5 years, just give them a rub once in a while.
Jim

[Osvaldo Cristo]

This is probably a blatant newbie question, but what the heck ;)

I've been gifted a couple marking knives over the last few years... one a Lee Valley double-bevel spear point knife, and the other a Narex. Neither seem particular sharp to begin with, and have been kind of a PITA to sharpen after the fact (what can I say, I suck at free-hand sharpening).

I've watched a few videos (Paul Sellars, Matt Estlea) and noted the knives they were using seemed to be relatively simple craft knives with disposable blades - awesome! Except those particular models are a bit harder to come by here stateside :confused:

Out of frustration the other day when I was practicing some cuts in the shop, I grabbed a folding utility knife (https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-10-855-Folding-Utility-Knife/dp/B0050PI78M/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1548515590&sr=8-15&keywords=stanley+folding+knife) that I'd picked up on a whim at the box store some time back. With a fresh blade, and being a little more skinny up front than most utility knives, it felt great and more importantly, for the first time I actually felt like I was really slicing a line across the fibers without having to bear down on the tool.

Which got me wondering... is there a reason *not* to use a utility or craft knife for marking lines? Something I'm missing here, besides being razor sharp all the time, easy to make sharp again (pitch the old blade and install a new one), and generally cheaper than anything short of a home-made marking knife?

I went to a kiridashi knife and I primary as a marking knife but as times goes by more and more it is also my utility knife at the shop. Super sharp and easy to re-sharp. I was really surprised as it is also ergonomic although its simple and direct design. I purchased mine from amazon (link (https://www.amazon.com/kiridashi-Knife-ryukora-Made-Japan/dp/B002TYZR5I)).

[Matt Lau]

+1 on the kiridashi.
I got mine from Stan, and it's sublime.

Cheaper options can be bought from Iida tools on eBay, or the Murphy mill knife refill. Hock also makes a good one.

As for sharpening...try having a ceramic pocket stone on you. Makes quick work of an edge

[Monte Milanuk]

I got the Stanley 10-049 folding craft knife that Paul uses and have been very happy with it. The stanley replacement blades are very expensive. Paul pointed out that the knife also uses a standard disposable blade that is sold in bulk as surgeon's scalpel blades. A box of 50 replacement blades cost about $20. I'm set for a very long time.

I'd originally been looking to get the SM00 handle, and ordered a pack of the SM01 blades off Amazon... only to find that the SM00 handle is apparently only available in the USA from exactly *one* supplier, Chicago Surgical, which tacks on a ridiculous surcharge for orders going to 'residential' addresses. Nothing that I couldn't cough up if I had to, but it irks me on general principal.

I ended up ordering a 10-049, and it should be arriving Friday or thereabouts. If it does indeed take the same SM01 pattern blades that I have sitting on my bench, then I'm all set ;)

[Jason Martin Winnipeg]

I don't know of any two woodworkers who use the same marking knife. It seems to be a personal preference unlike any other.

That said, this is the one I use:
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=60044&cat=1,42936