| | 01/21/2026 | 
Here is a question for you: should the point of a marking gauge be sharp or dull? And why?
Woodworking instructors answer most questions based on their experience. And most of the time when you're studying with a woodworking instructor, what you're paying for is not some universal truth of woodworking but rather your instructor's way of doing something. "This is the way I do it and that's what I know how to teach," is the instructional mantra. The more open-minded of the group will also say something along the lines of, "This is the way I was taught, and I recognize other traditions do it differently, but as I said, I teach what I know and I know that's just works very well." Some instructors have been teaching the same way for decades, whereas others see themselves as lifelong learners and explorers so their instructing evolves along with them.
My own woodworking mentor, Maurice Fraser, was compulsive, and basically taught woodworking techniques only if he had explored them extensively. The reason he taught a particular technique a particular way was because he tried every other possible method he could think of (or found out in his books) and determined that that way was the best.
Many years ago I wrote extensively about flatness of the back of a chisel or a plane blade and I polled some woodworking experts for their opinions. A very famous woodworker, a writer and instructor addressed my question, Why flatten the entire back of a chisel rather than only the first 1/32" - especially considering that Japanese chisels are purposely not flat and have a hollow? He responded by saying it was easier to teach a student to flatten the entire back properly rather than stop after the first 32nd or 16th of an inch.
A secret of woodworking is most techniques actually work. They may work at different speeds and efficiencies; they may require more or less capital investment or practice; but they work.
Certain tools fall out of favor for one reason or another, and then they can come back into vogue. Sic transit gloria mundi.
The ancient Egyptians built stone pyramids, furniture, and an empire with bronze tools.
When it comes to marking gauges, I have seen all sorts of modifications. Many of the modifications seem based on misunderstandings about how these gauges can be used. When you start out you don't know anything, you feel free to assume the problem with the tool is that it's not as good as it should be. As I turn on the treadle lathe I am connecting with New Learner energy. The trick is to bring some humility to the process as well. The wheel has been invented; I have to continually remind myself that I do not need to reinvent the wheel.
Incidentally if you want to know how to use a traditional marking gauge click here to a article I wrote ages ago. If you just want to cut to the chase, the answer is a slightly dull point works a lot better than a very sharp point because it doesn't cut the fibers. The dull point simply depresses the fibers of the wood - no scribe line that will catch stain or finish and leave a mark. The dull point also isn't as vulnerable to grain shifts as a sharp point is, so it stays straight and doesn't wander in the grain.
I'm hopeful that this year I will be able to write more blogs. I'm constantly getting comments about people who say they enjoy reading them, and I like writing them. I really do. But my time has been very very constricted this past year because I'm working on the lathe and running a business in a very tough environment. Whoever said necessity is the mother of invention is actually completely and totally wrong. Leisure is the mother of invention. If you don't have time to sit down, relax let your mind free and wander, you won't get any new ideas, and if you don't have time to actually explore new ideas from a practical sense, you won't have them fully fleshed out either.
Happy New Year, everyone!
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As for your point about "necessity is the mother of invention", I agree completely. Someone pointed out that mouse traps were the same for a long time. The proliferation of "better mousetraps" came about precisely when people had more time to play around with ideas AND when mice were less of a problem (eating your stores and seed for next year!). So, yes, exploration comes with leisure and I hope the business environment gets better and you find more time to explore this year!
Here’s hoping the lathes will let up a little and leave you some more inventive time this year…
Best from the foggy Central Valley of CA,
Wink