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Rated "Highly recommended" by Woodworking Magazine, Spring 2007
 

Introduction

Blue Spruce Toolworks precision hand tools are designed for the woodworking craftsman who desires tools as finely crafted as the furniture he makes. They are designed and produced by a woodworker and have a balance and feel that can only come with years of experience and attention to detail. (Blue Spruce Toolworks Information )
 

Marking knives are used in place of a pencil to cut very precise layout lines into the work piece. The lines are very easy to see and help ensure accurate saw cuts when sawing precision joinery. The incised mark also works as an excellent reference for making final paring cuts.

A Blue Spruce marking knife will become an indispensable and treasured addition to your tool cabinet. The small marking knife is designed for general use in stock up to ¾” inch thick. It excels in marking out dovetail joints in small casework, drawers, jewelry boxes and other fine, detailed work. The large marking knife is designed for larger stock and larger scale casework generally over ¾” thick. It is also nice for those woodworkers with larger hands and who want a more substantial handle and heft to the marking knife. For more information and specifications: (Blue Spruce Toolworks Marking Knives)
 

 Scratch awls are also used in place of a pencil to scribe lines into end grain, trace curves or mark other general layout lines. They are also very useful for making starter holes for small screws. For more information and specifications: (Blue Spruce Toolworks Scratch Awls)
 

Dovetail Chisels are specialty chisels designed for paring and the precision fitting of fine joinery. Blue Spruce Toolworks dovetail chisels are some of the finest on the market and have a refinement, balance and feel that is unmatched. The handle nestles comfortably into the palm of your hand and allows for very controlled horizontal paring cuts. The thin blade is just the right length for close-up intimate work, while still allowing clear visibility to the work piece. The unique concave side bevels allow the chisel to pare right into the corners of dovetail joints and give a refined, elegant look to the chisels.  They will become your favorite “go to” chisels when only the finest work will do. For more information and specifications: (Blue Spruce Toolworks Chisels)

 

The wood most often used for Blue Spruce Toolworks handles is cocobolo or Dalbergia retusa. It is a member of the rosewood family and is primarily found in Mexico and Central America. This wood can come in many colors from orange to red to purple, often with black streaks and mild to wild grain patterns. No two handles are alike. I try to match handles in a set as much as possible. If you desire dalbergia retusa for your handles, please specify "cocobolo" when ordering.

Another popular wood is African Blackwood or Dalbergia melanoxylon. This is a very dark brown and often deep black wood that is actually another type of rosewood. Most pieces of the wood have some chocolate brown colored stripes or grain patterns and are not pure black. The wood is very dense and takes a beautiful polish.

Figured, or curly hard maple, Acer saccharum, makes very beautiful and durable tool handles; only the very best, highly figured stock is used. A hand-rubbed oil/varnish finish is used on the handles to bring out the figure and provide protection for the wood. As an option, a special dye made from cocobolo shavings can be used to give the handle more of of an aged or antique look. See the tool gallery page for sample pictures. If you desire this treatment, please specify in the comment section upon checkout or email.
 
A variety of "rosewoods" may be used for handles depending upon what is available from suppliers. Often I will use "Bolivian Rosewood" or Machaerium schleroxylon, which is actually not a rosewood at all. It is also known as "Morado" and is a popular substitute for Brazilian rosewood which is no longer available. It is generally more of a milk chocolate brown with black streaks. Other rosewoods which may be used include Honduras Rosewood, Dalbergia stevensonii, East Indian Rosewood, Dalbergia latifolia, or Bois de Rose, Dalbergia maritima. Please e-mail if you would like a specific type of rosewood. All types may not be available and costs will vary. Most any wood may be used and customers may supply their own special wood for handles. Again, supply is sometimes limited so please email before ordering anything other than what is offered on the checkout page. I will discuss prices for special woods and how to order with you. Click here to return to ordering.
 

Small and Large Marking Knife

The small double bevel marking knife has a blade 1/32" thick by 5/16" wide with an overall length of 6-3/4". It is sized for the majority of marking needs in smaller scale projects like boxes, drawers and casework. The larger double bevel marking knife has a blade 1/16" thick by 1/2" wide and an overall length of 8-1/4". The larger size is most suitable for projects involving joinery such as mortise and tenons, dovetails in thicker stock and overall layout tasks. The marking knife blades are made from A-2 tool steel hardened to 60-62 Rc, which can develop an extremely keen and durable edge. To order Marking Knives click here.

Small Scratch Awl

The small scratch awl has an overall length of about 6 inches. It is designed for detail work and for starting holes for hinge screws in small projects such as jewelry boxes. The point is conical which makes a nice clean hole and separates the fibers allowing the maximum holding power for small screws. The larger scratch awl is great for heavier duty jobs and can even be tapped with a mallet. The overall length of the large scratch awl is 7 inches overall with a 2-1/2 inch high carbon steel, hardened point. The standard point is conical but can be sharpened with flats to convert it to a "birdcage" style awl if desired. This style will cut fibers and give a clean, drilled or reamed hole very quickly and effectively. To order Scratch Awls click here.

Large Scratch Awl
Recently added to the product line, is a larger scratch, or brad awl. This awl has a much more robust construction than the small scratch awl and is capable of taking taps from a mallet to create larger screw holes. The hardened, high carbon point is 3/16 inch in diameter at the large section and tapers to the point after about 3 inches. The overall length of the tool is 7 inches. The tip on the large scratch awl can be ordered with a standard conical point or with four ground flats that convert it into a "birdcage" awl. These sharp flats help sever the wood fibers and ream the hole as you twist the awl rather than compressing them like a standard conical point. If you plan to use the large awl primarily for starting larger screw holes, order the birdcage tip. If you plan to use the awl primarily for marking or starting smaller screw holes, order the standard point. Either way, this is a beautiful and useful addition to your marking tool collection. To order Scratch Awls click here.

Dovetail Chisels
Another product recently redesigned is a set of very fine quality dovetail or detail chisels. The thin blade allows the chisels to get into tight areas such as between tails in the area receiving small pins in dovetail joinery, or to clean up the sides of small or thin mortises. The blades are A-2 tool steel, hardened and tempered to 60 Rc. The blades are precision ground and honed, and come ready to use.  The handles are finely turned, beautiful cocobolo with a nice detail bead to add interest and a visual separation between the wood handle and brass ferrule. The handles are polished and waxed with no other finish. The widths available are 1/8, 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2  inch. Lengths are 3-5/8, 3-7/8, 4-1/8, and 4-3/8 inches respectively.  The handle is uniquely sized and has a more bulbous shape than most chisel handles for a wonderful feel and balance. These are chisels that you will want to cherish and pass on to future generations. To order dovetail chisels click here. See our new detail skew chisels on the What's New page.

Detail Skew Chisels
We are excited to announce our new pair of detail skew chisels to compliment our newly re-designed dovetail chisels. These are some of the finest skew chisels currently available. They are 3/8 inch wide to fit into tight spaces, and 4-3/8" long. The sides are concave, similar to the dovetail chisels, to allow maximum visibility of your work and to allow paring into acute angles. The blades are made from the same A-2 tool steel as the dovetail chisels and hardened to 60 Rc for superior edge retention and sharpness. These chisels are ideally suited to cleaning out the socket bottoms of half-blind dovetails. They will be a great addition to your collection of fine woodworking chisels Click on the small image at left to see the full size image. To order Detail Skew Chisels click here.

To  order any of the Blue Spruce precision tools. click here.

 
Custom Orders: If you would like a special order, such as a matching set of left and right hand bevels, or a different handle shape, different wood, or even a different custom tool, e-mail us your special requests and pricing will be provided. The Custom Tools section shows pictures of some of the custom tools we have sold. We will be introducing more tools in the near future, so be sure to sign up to receive our e-mail notification of new products.

 
 

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