Top Picks
Best smooth surfaces: TREND U/E Scribe at Amazon
Best rough surfaces: Profiler+ at Amazon
Budget option: FastCap Scribe at Amazon
Wheel marking gauge: WoodRiver Gauge at WoodCraft
When I was first learning to install cabinets one job the owner of the cabinet shop always tackled was scribing the cabinet fillers and backsplashes.
While he avoided more mundane work the scribing was a job for a perfectionist and I soon realized why he enjoyed it. But, the problem was he had decades of free-handing experience and didn’t need to use a wood scribe tool.
So learning to scribe took a lot of patience.
In this article we’ll cover the common styles of scribes for woodworking. And, like any tool, understanding the key features of a wood scribe tool is a must:
- Support any pencil or marker
- Trace smooth and rough surfaces
- Easy to grasp and trace
- Depth adjustment from the material edge to the scribe line
- Marking scribes with knife-like ability to indent the grain for saws or chisels.
Types of Scribes For Woodworking
First, there is no single wood scribe for every application.
Instead, scribes can be categorized into these types:
- Contour scribes that will transpose a surface contour to a piece of wood
- Center scribes that will mark the center of an edge of wood
- Marking scribes that indent the wood for cutting. These are commonly used with a square for rough carpentry where pencils don’t mark precisely. Or, for scribing the grain to prevent tear-out during crosscuts.
- Wheel marking scribes that trace an outer edge and mark a line or indent on a piece of wood
Because scribes all work slightly differently it’s common you’ll need one of each type.
Common uses for a wood scribe
While not used daily for most woodworkers, you’ll find a surprising number of jobs require a scribe.
Here’s where scribes are most commonly used:
- Scribing cabinet fillers and face frames during cabinet installation
- Tracing wood trim for adjustment while installing trim
- Marking or indenting wood for chisels or saw blades.
- Finding the centers of wood strips with a center gauge
- Drawing circles, similar to a compass
Of course, there are many more uses. But I think you get the idea that having one of these gauges in your toolbox is beneficial.
Manufacturers
It’s surprising to both new and professional woodworkers the variety of brands that innovate with tools. And in wood scribes there are a variety of niche manufacturers:
Lastly, while you’ll find bigger brands sell standard compasses this is a niche market that make it worth investing in a unique tool brand.
Best Wood Scribe Tools
Woodworkers know there isn’t just one scribe that is best for all of their projects. Instead, they turn to scribes that will work for rough, smooth and irregular surfaces.
What does that mean when buying the best tool for your woodworking? Often, woodworkers will have different styles of scribes to fit their styles of woodworking.
1. Best Scribe For Long Surfaces: Trend U/E
See on Amazon: Trend U/E EasyScribe
Overview
One of the most common uses for a wood scribe is to transpose the curves of a wall or floor to a cabinet, floor piece or trim.
And the Trend U/E is a master at this that features:
- Compact design
- Replaceable leads with easy adjustment
- Flat back for tracing
Pros
- Flat surface scribing
- Easy height adjustment
- Inside and outside joints
Cons
- Non-standard lead tips
- Does not perform well on rough surfaces
2. Best Scribe For Cutting Into Wood Surface
See on Amazon: Big Horn Marking Scribe
Overview
If your needs for a wood scribe are to simply make a straight line outline using a square then a marking knife is what you’ll need.
While these tools are simple, they are handy for rough lumber and cutting when a pencil just won’t do.
Key features:
- Heavy duty carbide tipped blade to keep sharp
- Safety pouch when not in use (it’s a knife, after all)
- Large easy to grip handle
Pros
- Straight line scribing
- Double bevel for right and left scribes
- Establishes a clear line for chisels or saws
Cons
- Does not trace outside to inside edges
- Lacks compass-style tracing
3. Profiler+ For Rough Surfaces
See on Amazon: Profiler Plus
Overview
The Profiler+ is one of the few wood scribe tools that can trace both smooth and jagged edges. With this dual capability you can easily scribe smooth surfaces like walls for installing cabinet fillers and then switch over to jagged edge fireplace tracing and fitting.
Key features:
- Excels at rough outline tracing
- Easy to adjust
- Only scribe with easy glide wheels integrated for smooth outline tracing
- Accepts standard sized pencils and some markers
Pros
- Flat surface scribing
- Easy adjustment
- Rough edge joints (fireplace)
- Easy to replace lead pencil
Cons
- Does not trace outside to inside edges
- Lacks compass-style tracing
4. FastCap Accuscribe for Versatile Scribes
See on Amazon: FastCap Scribe
Overview
FastCap is known to take standard tools and make them better. And, with this scribe, they took a standard compass and produced one of the most versatile scribes for flat and circle tracing
This modern twist on a classic compass design is yet another innovative product from FastCap. Because it features an articulating arm and flat-sided, non-rocking straight edge it’s built to do traditional and custom wood scribing. And it’s one of the few that can still draw custom size circles.
- Doubles as a scribe and compass
- Accepts standard size pencils and small markers
- Easy to adjust for standard butt-joint scribes
- Flexible for outside edge or tracing applications
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Flat surface scribing
- Easy adjustment
- Easy to replace lead pencil
- Outside to inside tracing
Cons
- Not suited for rough edge tracing
5. Perfect Butt Wood Scribe Tool
See on Amazon: Perfect Butt Scribe
Overview
Sometimes simple is best.
And the Perfect Butt (aside from perhaps it’s name) achieves simple with a bare-bones simple design concept: just pick the right size wheel and have a sharp pencil inserted.
Where does this tool pay for itself? If you’ve installed counters you know scribing the back splash or edges to a wall is a challenge – and the design of this wood scribe makes it an easy-to-use option.
This is a great pick-up for any cabinet installation or carpenter’s toolbox.
Pros
- Flat surface scribing
- Easy adjustment
- Easy to replace lead pencil
Cons
- Not suited for rough edge tracing
- Limited depths with fixed wheels
6. Center Scribe for Fast Marking
See on Amazon: Center Scriber
Overview
If your projects involve marking the centers on an edge of wood (furniture backs, stair railings, ends of dimensional lumber, slats) then this nifty jig will quickly and accurately give you a center line to work from.
Pros
- Edge scribing
- Easy adjustment
- Fast center marking
Cons
- Not suited for rough edge tracing
- Works only for locating centers of wood
7. Newkiton Wheel Marking Scribe
See on Amazon: Newton Wheel Marking Scribe
Overview
For scribing mortises and tenons, etching a clean mark on the edge of a shelve or any other precision wood edge task this Newkiton is a smooth performer. What doesn’t it do? Well, this style of wood scribe isn’t designed to transpose surfaces like the Profiler+. Which helps you now see why owning two wood scribes is a must.
Pros
- Edge scribing
- Easy adjustment
- Easy to replace lead or steel scribe
Cons
- Not suited for rough edge tracing
- Only made for outline tracing
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a wood scribe tool?
If you’ve used a metal scribe you know there’s only one type: a scribe that scratches the surface of the metal. With wood scribes you’ll find a wider range of tools that include this etching capability. But, wood scribe tools also use a pencil to transpose contours or edges to the wood.
How do you scribe a piece of wood?
Scribing a piece of wood is common in cabinet or trim installation as you are trying to perfectly mate two pieces of wood in an uneven space. Using a contour wood marking tool is the best option as it will transpose the surface of the target wood to the wood that will be trimmed.
How do you scribe a cabinet filler strip?
Cabinet filler strips are best scribed with a contour gauge and then sanded with a belt sander to match the wood contour to the wall.
Summary
When choosing a wood scribe it isn’t always about buying one. Instead, the best wood scribe tools are often a combination of two or even three scribes based on the project at hand.
- About the Author
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Eric has been a professional woodworker for over thirty years and has worked in small cabinet shops making everything from kitchen cabinets to hand-made furniture. Now working from a home woodworking shop Eric is sharing his passion for woodworking, tool advice and how-to knowledge from his Minnesota-based woodshop.
