This combined mortice and marking gauge is of a traditional design. A single pin on one side of the stem scribes a line along the grain and parallel to an edge. On the opposite side of the stem are two pins, one of which is independently adjustable. This feature enables the gauge to scribe two parallel lines at a set distance from an edge, when laying out a mortice or the mating tenon. The second pin is set by means of a pull slide, which runs in a T-slot in the stem. The Axminster Workshop mortice and marking gauge has a laminated bamboo stem and stock. The pins are hardened steel; all the other fittings are brass.
The use of laminated bamboo for the stock and stem is an important step forward in the manufacture of this traditional tool. Made from compressed and glued layers of individual sections, laminated bamboo is extremely durable and stable. As an alternative to rosewood and other increasingly scarce tropical timbers, laminated bamboo is perfect. Bamboo stems mature at 4 to 5 years old. After harvesting, new shoots emerge from the ground making it one the most natural and sustainable materials ever!