Carpentry Tools > Marking gauge



The Kebiki is a tool for ruling lines onto flat wooden surfaces. It constitutes of a rod (sao) set into a rectangular block that functions as a guide (jyogi-ban) and a marking blade (ha) fixed at the tip of the rod. The blade marks a straight line onto the surface as the guide is slid alongside the edge of the wood. It is used when a highly precise finishing is required since it can mark finer lines than when using ink.
There are two major categories for kebiki: the suji-kebiki used for marking lines and the wari-kebiki, a kebiki of a slightly larger size used for directly split-cutting thin board.


(1) Suji-kebiki  (marking gauge)
The Sujikebiki is used for marking lines parallel to the baseline of the timber.
There are kebikis with two rods (nihonsao-sujikebiki) or with long rods (nagasao-kebiki) designed to suit different purposes: the sujikebiki with two rods enables the marking of two different lines by turning the kebiki around after marking a line and doing the same with the blade on the opposite end, whereas the sujikebiki with a long rod allows the carpenter to mark lines widely apart from the edge.

From left to right: wari-kebiki, suji-kebiki, nihonsao-sujikebiki (two rods), nagasao-kebiki (long rod)


(2) Wari-kebiki  (splitting gauge)
The Wari-kebiki is slightly larger and sturdier than the suji-kebiki and is used for directly rip cutting thin timber.


(3) Kama-kebiki  ("sickle" marking gauge)
Unlike the suji-kebiki or the wari-kebiki, the kama-kebiki is equipped with two L-shaped blades. The long arm of the L-shape is slid along a rod that only protrudes on the side opposite the timber, and is fastened with a screw. It is used when a protruding rod over the timber may be an obstruction.


(4) Kama-kebiki  ("sickle" marking gauge)
The Nomi-kebiki has a guide made of camphor tree and a nail instead a blade fixed into it. It usually has 2 to 4 rods in order to mark multiple lines simultaneously, and is used for example when deciding the width of a ditch, or holes for the joints. It is widely used for joinery works.


(5) Shiragaki  (marking knife)
The shiragaki is used to mark precise lines with the aid of a sashigane or makigane. It is widely used in joinery works. There are also shiragaki with two blades for marking two parallel lines (nicho-hakusho).
Top row left to right: kama-kebiki (sickle gauge), nomi-kebiki (chisel marking gauge with 4 rods), nomi-kebiki (chisel marking gauge with 1 rod).
Bottom row left to right: kama-kebiki (sickle marking gauge with 1 blade), shiragaki (marking knife), nicho-shiragaki (double marking knife).


The contents of this page are excerpts from Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum Collection Catalogue no. 5 -rulers for ink, kebiki and kiri-
The names of the tools are those used at the museum which are mainly based on those used in western Japan. The names can vary according to the place and the researcher.


 
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