Beefy marking knife fits the hand well The large and somewhat awkward-looking Vesper Joinery Knife demonstrates how function can win out over form. The thick, flat body will not roll off a benchtop, and it nestles well in the hand for a comfortable pencil-style grip. Chris Vesper makes no-compromise hand tools a few at a time in his shop in Australia, using beautiful local woods. With its substantial brass ferrule and nicely executed finish, this marking knife is no exception. The thick blade is the double-bevel, spear-point type, which marks in both directions.

The knife worked well for laying out a large set of dovetails, leaving a crisp line that was deep and clean. The flat-sided handle helped me orient the knife in my hand to keep the flat side of the blade against the tails. The tool also marked hinge mortises easily, tracking nicely with or against the grain. It’s a bit large for fine inlay work, but it isn’t intended for that. The only real downside is the $60 price.

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