If you’ve ever looked at a piece of cabinet trim that is cut to fit perfectly around something – it could be an ornate baseboard or the edge of a countertop – you’ve seen the benefit of a scribing tool!
Why I bought a scribing tool
One of my earliest projects was to build some shoe cubbies that would fit flush with a wall in our mud room. The mud room was finished, so it already had a tile floor and baseboards installed. Option A was to cut the baseboards in order to put the shoe cubby flush with the wall, but I didn’t have an oscillating tool to make that cut cleanly.
Option B was to cut the sides of the cubby to fit perfectly around the baseboard, but I didn’t have a scribing tool to ensure a tight fit. Since the scribing tool was a small fraction of the cost of an oscillating tool, I bought a scribing tool (I already had a jigsaw to make the custom cuts drawn by the scribing tool).
The Good Stuff
- It’s accurate. The aluminum construction means there’s no bending or flexing during the scribing process. As long as you are able to hold the tip of the scribing tool against the surface you want to match, it will trace accurately. The trick is to go slowly.
- It’s durable. the aluminum construction also means it’s heavy duty. It’s easy to break the pencil lead if you drop it, but the folding mechanism and screw adjustments will still work fine.
- It’s versatile. A scribing tool is one of those tools that gets more valuable over time. After the shoe cubbies, I used it to accurately cut a toe kick for cabinets in my garage. Then I used it to custom fit a platform for my dog, where the edge of the platform was up against stone fascia. I’ve also used it as a compass cut circles of a specific size. No more guesstimating by tracing a pint glass!
The Bad Stuff
- False advertising. On the product page at Amazon, you will see a video produced by Saker. It’s helpful in that it shows several different ways to use the tool, but it’s slightly misleading. Watch closely and you’ll note that some of the scribing lines are thick and bold where others are thin and light. When you use the tool, you realize “thin and light” is what you get. I think the “thick and bold” lines in the video were digitally added to make them more visible. To achieve similar in practice, you’d have to find a felt tip marker that fits into the tool. It doesn’t change the fact that the tool works, but it comes with a pencil that delivers “thin and light.”
Conclusion
The Saker Multi-function Scribing Tool with Deep Hole Pencil is an excellent tool you’re likely to use more than you think. If you’re like me and need things to fit together neatly, you’ll find this scribing tool from Saker very satisfying.
By the way, the link takes you to the product page on Amazon.com and if you subsequently buy it I will earn a small commission. Please know this does not change the price. If you go to the product page without using my link, you will see the same price. Here’s the official disclosure statement. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting Moto Woodworks!
Finally, I only recommend products that I use on a regular basis and have proved their worthiness over time. Check out the Product Reviews page to see more.
