Hi all! Neanderthal newbie here, but I hope to be active in the forum in the future as questions and projects happen for me.

Anyway, long story short, I inherited an old Stanley rosewood and brass mortise marking gauge, and although it has seen better days, the fence, adjustment screw, and locking mechanism all work quite well. This tool has a good weight to it and seems very well-made. I am gearing up to start a (mostly) hand-built workbench, and I would rather put this marking gauge to use than buy a new one from Lee Valley. The only issue I have is with the marking pins. They are both pretty dull, and one of them has a bent tip.

I was thinking I could touch them up with a small file, and correct the bend with a few light taps from a hammer. But is there a better way? Should I back the pins out, fix them up, and then hammer them back in? I could imagine honing a new point on these pins in about five seconds with a belt sander, but I am working with very few power tools in my arsenal.

Thanks in advance for your help!