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info@lakeerietoolworks.com

Marking Knives

Crisp lines. Clean corners.

A spear-point marking knife with a flat back that doubles as a chisel. Precision machined, heat treated, surface ground and hand sharpened in Erie, Pennsylvania, from American and Swedish knife steel.

★★★★★ More than 500 in woodworkers' shops. Every review: five stars.

✓ Guaranteed for a full year: love it, or return it for a full refund. — Nick Dombrowski, maker

Why this knife

  • Spear point. Marks in either direction and reaches into tight spots, like between dovetail pins.
  • Flat, surface-ground back. Rides tight against your square for an accurate line, and works as a chisel to clean out the inside corners of half-blind dovetails.
  • No handle, on purpose. It lies flat for marking in tight spaces, you grip it right near the edge for control, and it clamps in a standard honing guide for easy, repeatable sharpening.
  • Solid 1/8" steel. Rigid enough that it won't flex off the line. Chamfered edges make it easy to pick up, and two countersunk holes give your thumb a grip point and let you hang it up.
  • Leather sheath included. Vegetable-tanned leather, made in house with hammered copper rivets.

Which steel is right for you?

Both take a very keen edge. The real choice is how you like to sharpen.

14C28N
$140 		CPM MagnaCut
$160
Edge life Long Much longer
Sharpening Quick on any stone Takes longer; diamonds recommended
Hardness Rockwell C 60 Rockwell C 62
Rust resistance Highly rust resistant Highly rust resistant
Toughness Very high High
Steel made in Sweden (Sandvik) USA
Choose it if You sharpen on water or oil stones and like quick touch-ups You already use diamond plates and want to sharpen rarely
Shop 14C28N → Shop MagnaCut →

Both steels are cryogenically treated and double tempered. Before settling on these two, I made test knives in O1, A2, 1095 and CPM-3V.

Engravings

Pick a pattern, engraved on the top face only or on both faces for the same price. Clean has the logo only.

Checkered engraving on a Lake Erie Toolworks marking knife
Checkered
Turtle Power engraving on a Lake Erie Toolworks marking knife
Turtle Power
Dragon Scale engraving on a Lake Erie Toolworks marking knife
Dragon Scale
Memento Mori engraving on a Lake Erie Toolworks marking knife
Memento Mori

Limited editions: numbered runs, made once and then retired for good. One run so far, Very Small Rocks, 50 made, all sold. See the Limited Edition Registry →

What woodworkers say

★★★★★

"Quite simply the best marking knife I have ever used. It is consistently a pleasure to use."

— Ben B.

★★★★★

"I now have two of these amazing marking knives. I have many others that I have bought over the years… This is by far my favorite marking knife. It is very sharp, perfectly balanced and beautiful in its simple design."

— Peter L.P.

★★★★★

"Everything you could ask for in marking knife, sharp, holds an edge, comfortable in hand. My go to."

— Lloyd V.

Video review from Shawn Graham, Wortheffort Woodworking:

Questions

How do I sharpen it?

Clamp the knife in a honing guide (the Veritas Mk.II works well), hone each side of the spear point, then remove the burr on the flat back with a few light strokes on your finest stone.

Does it work for left-handers?

Yes. The spear point is fully symmetrical, so it works the same in either hand.

Does it come sharp?

Yes. Every knife is sharpened and ready to use out of the box.

What if I don’t love it?

Send it back within a year for a full refund, no matter the reason. Return shipping is included for US customers.

When will it ship?

Knives are made in small production runs. Each product page shows whether your knife is ready to ship or being made in the next run, along with the lead time.

Veritas is a trademark of its owner. Lake Erie Toolworks is not affiliated with or endorsed by Veritas.

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