The best marking gauges, compared.
Top pick: Clarke Brothers wheel gauge – Highest score at 94: 4.7 from 3,106 ratings, a scale to 150 mm and two spare cutters. The score is the star line, not a lab test. Best value: Draper 64440 beech pin gauge – A single hardened spur at about £7.99, with 4.3 from 401 reviews. Odorkle's higher score rests on six reviews. Updated October 2026.
A marking gauge scribes a line parallel to a reference edge, finer than a pencil. The cutter is the decision: a pin for lines with the grain, a wheel when you cross the grain, and two spurs when the pair has to match a chisel. A fence that stays on the edge, a lock that holds, and a cutter that severs fibres are the checks in the reviews. No dedicated British Standard for this hand tool showed up in the HSE woodworking list used here. Odorkle's 4.4 rests on six reviews and is not the value pick. Types and budgets are in the [marking gauge buying guide](/hub/measuring-and-marking-tools/marking-gauge/sub/marking-gauge-buying-guide). On these amazon.co.uk listings the buyers are mostly, students and cabinetmakers choosing a pin, a mortice or combination gauge, or a wheel. BS EN 847-1 covers machine milling tools and saw blades, not a hand gauge. A bullet that says manufactured to EU standards names no standard number.
A marking gauge scribes a line parallel to a reference edge, finer than a pencil.
42 products checked · 58 hrs invested · +18,600 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Which way does the line run?
The Clarke Brothers wheel gauge is the highest amazon.co.uk star line in this set, at 4.7 from 3,106 ratings and £26.25, and the saved listing holds four UK review texts, all positive, so the written sample is thin beside that count. Those four mention a clean deep line, readable inch and millimetre scales, a micro-adjust that worked for one buyer, and lines that stay with the grain and can form a knife wall. None of the four states a fault, which leaves you without a written criticism pattern and without a workshop measurement of error. The listing claims a scale to 150 mm, a brass face with a flat spot to stop the body rolling, two replacement cutters, and a weight of 168 g. It is the top pick here if you want a wheel, spare cutters and the busiest rating count, and you accept how few UK texts were in the file. A with-the-grain pin is a different job, and two mortice cheeks need two pins. This listing is one wheel.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a wheel with spare cutters and you are buying on the amazon.co.uk rating count.
Less suitable: With-the-grain pin work only, or two pins set to a chisel.
Specifications
Common questions
What does the Clarke Brothers gauge include?
Included components are two replacement cutters. The bar is described as 8 inches, with metric and imperial marks up to 150 mm. A flat spot on the fence is claimed. Weight is 168 g. Origin is Taiwan.
Why is the rating 4.7 from 3,106?
That is the amazon.co.uk customer-review line. The saved listing contains four UK review texts, all positive, and no written fault. The score is not a lab test.
The YOSELIN dovetail set is an anodised aluminium wheel gauge at £23.99, with a bearing wheel and a locked wheel, a screwdriver, a pencil, an 8 inch rod marked at 1 mm and 1/25 in, 4.5 from 701 amazon.co.uk reviews, and a weight of 150 g. In 42 UK texts the lock feels secure, a recess in the face protects the wheel, one buyer's scale matched a combination square, and blades held an edge for some users. The pressure ring is fiddly, and you have to learn which screw to loosen. At least one buyer never used the dovetail part and only scribed with the wheel. The technical material field also lists copper, stainless steel and aluminium alloy beside the anodised-aluminium bullet, and the slopes are claimed for softwood and hardwood. The set lays out the joint and leaves the cutting of the tails to a saw. Buy it when you want those layout marks and a second cutter in the same box.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You mark dovetail slopes and you want a spare cutter in the same box.
Less suitable: A single pin for skirtings, or two pins set to a chisel.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this YOSELIN set cut the dovetail?
The bullets say it marks the slope on softwood and hardwood and also works as a wheel gauge on an 8 inch rod. They do not say it cuts the joint. A pencil and a screwdriver are included.
What is the body made of?
The bullet says CNC aluminium, anodised. The material field lists copper, stainless steel and aluminium alloy. Weight is 150 g. Colour is black.
This wheel gauge is worded as Newkiton, with manufacturer Gooray and model HU-XI-201, at £19.99 and 4.5 from 608 amazon.co.uk reviews, and it weighs 240 g. You get a bearing wheel for soft wood, a locked wheel for hard wood, an 8 inch rod, a brass face, a screwdriver, and marks at 1 mm and 1/25 in. In 39 UK reviews the two cutters, the smooth bearing and the brass face are why people keep it, and some prefer the adjusting feel to a traditional mortice gauge. Those texts also include blunt cutters, a set screw that slips, a round body that rolls until a flat is filed, and boxes that arrived without the second cutter or the locking screw. Changing a setting takes several steps, the instructions are unclear, and one rod fell out when it was unscrewed. Reviews mention a micro-adjust, while the bullet gives no numbered increment. Check both cutters are in the box before you rely on the hardwood wheel.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a softwood bearing wheel and a locked hardwood wheel, and you will check the box for both cutters.
Less suitable: A two-pin mortice gauge, or a feel you are comparing with a specialist Veritas.
Specifications
Common questions
Which cutter is for hardwood?
The title says one bearing wheel cutter for soft wood and one locked wheel cutter for hard wood, plus a screwdriver. The rod is 8 inch steel with 1 mm and 1/25 inch marks.
Who is the manufacturer?
The bullets use the name Newkiton. The manufacturer field says Gooray and the part number is HU-XI-201. Colour is black. Weight is 240 g.
The Irwin Marples M2049 is a hardwood pin gauge with a plastic thumbscrew at £11.54, and 4.4 from 504 amazon.co.uk reviews, which makes the first 50 UK texts the largest written pin-gauge sample here. The brand line is IRWIN and the manufacturer field is Stanley Black & Decker, while Joseph Marples of Sheffield is a different maker. Buyers call the hardwood attractive for the price, use it for tenons and general woodwork, and note that the plastic screw takes only a couple of turns. Play in the sliding stock, a lock that does not stay tight, and a setting that moves after you tighten all come up in that sample. Sharp square edges, patchy varnish, chips on arrival, and a screw that needs sanding so it does not dig into the beam sit in the same fifty texts. Listed weight is 68 g, the dimensions field says 10.5 x 7 cm, which is short for a full beam and is copied as printed, and the included parts are not itemised. It suits household and average workshop lines with the grain once you have eased the screw.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a widely reviewed hardwood pin for household and average workshop work, and you will ease the screw.
Less suitable: You want a brass screw, a Joseph Marples Sheffield gauge, or two mortice pins.
Specifications
Common questions
Who makes the Irwin Marples M2049?
The listing brand is IRWIN and the manufacturer is Stanley Black & Decker. Country of origin is United Kingdom. Model IWTMR2049. It is not described as a Joseph Marples gauge.
Does the Irwin Marples come with a case?
The listing asks that question and does not answer it. Included components are not itemised. Weight is 68 g.
The red YOSELIN wheel gauge is £18.99, with an 8 inch steel rod marked at 1 mm and 1/64 in, one extra blade in the bullets, 4.4 from 352 amazon.co.uk reviews, and a weight of 150 g. In 14 UK texts, buyers describe fine scribes that are sharper than a pencil for hinge layout, a rotating blade, and a spare wheel in the box, and one reviewer says it works in orientations a traditional pin gauge does not. The spare cutter arrives loose rather than fitted at the other end, the lock loosens, and the fence slips. One buyer measured the scale 0.5 mm out, and another ignores the printed marks and uses a ruler. The body metal is not named, and the model string on the listing is windows version, which is not a model name you can reorder by. Set the fence from a rule and recheck the lock after every change. The extra blade earns its place when you fit it after the first wheel bruises the wood.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You mark hinges and cross-grain lines, you want a spare blade around £19, and you set the fence from a rule.
Less suitable: A lock you never recheck, or a two-pin mortice layout.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the YOSELIN wheel gauge include a spare cutter?
The bullet says one wheel marking gauge plus one extra blade. The rod is described as 8 inch steel with 1 mm and 1/64 inch marks. Colour is red. Weight is 150 g.
What is the model number?
The listing model string is windows version. The manufacturer part number is YOSELIN-004.
The Draper 64458 is the marking-and-mortice gauge in this set, at £13.19 on amazon.co.uk with 4.4 from 304 reviews, while Draper's own page lists the same model at £27. Amazon's material field says wood and does not number the pins; the maker's page says beech, hardened spurs and a brass slide. In the first 50 UK reviews it is used for mortice and tenon and for door furniture, and buyers call it accurate enough for DIY furniture once the stock is fettled. The brass slide can arrive cocked, and the stock can lock up until you wax and sand it. Reviews describe one plastic screw setting both the head and the mortice pin, a seam that bites the thumb, sharp edges, a tool that does not match the picture, and one note that it runs slightly small. Weight is 130 g, and a bullet says manufactured to EU standards without naming a standard number. Buy it when you want one fence for paired lines and you will ease the stock on day one.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are learning mortice-and-tenon layout and you will sand and wax the stock before the first joint.
Less suitable: A single with-the-grain line, or a buyer who needs the pin count printed on the Amazon page.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the Draper 64458 a mortice gauge?
The title is Marking and Mortice Gauge. The Amazon material field says wood. Draper's own page describes beech, hardened spurs and a brass slide, and lists £27, which is not the £13.19 Amazon price.
Which standard does the Draper 64458 meet?
An Amazon bullet says manufactured to EU standards and does not give a number. No British Standard identifier is on the listing.
The Odorkle listing is an aluminium-alloy wheel gauge with a knurled lock, at £8.73 and 74 g. The star line is 4.4 from only six amazon.co.uk reviews, and the saved listing contains one UK text, which says the gauge is ok but not great and works after a fashion, without naming a part. The dual-scale bullet says both inch and another scale, and it does not name the metric side. Wheel diameter, reach and a model number are absent. A glossy finish is claimed to prevent snags, which does not tell you whether a spare cutter is in the box, because none is listed. Best Sellers Rank sits under Sewing Tools, an odd shelf for a joinery gauge. Six reviews cannot show whether the lock holds across a batch. Treat the price as a low-cost trial only if you already accept that the written evidence is one sentence.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the cheapest wheel in this set and you accept a sample of six reviews.
Less suitable: Anyone choosing a workshop gauge from stars, or a job that needs a spare cutter.
Specifications
Common questions
What is the Odorkle gauge made of?
The bullet says aluminium alloy. Weight is 74 g. A beam length is not stated.
How many reviews does the Odorkle listing show?
The amazon.co.uk line is 4.4 from 6 reviews. The saved listing contains one UK review text, which says it works after a fashion.
The Draper 64440 marks a single line with one hardened spur at £7.99, and it carries 4.3 from 401 amazon.co.uk reviews. The title and bullets say beechwood with a plastic turn screw, while the technical material field says Plastic, so the listing disagrees with itself. In the first 50 UK reviews, buyers treat it as a traditional gauge that holds once the screw is tight, including a long-time joiner using it for basic work. Several beams need sanding, the corners arrive sharp, and mould flash on the plastic screw lets the stock shift while you tighten. Other stocks are so tight they will not slide without force, and one pin was not straight. At 90 g there is no case in the included components. It is the best value in this set when you mark with the grain and you will ease the screw. It is a single spur, so a mortice still needs a second setting or a different gauge.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You mark second-fix lines with the grain and you will ease the plastic screw and the beam.
Less suitable: Daily mortice-and-tenon work, or a shop that will not fettle a plastic screw.
Specifications
Common questions
What is the Draper 64440 made from?
The title and bullets say beechwood with one hardened spur and a plastic turn screw. The technical material field says Plastic. Both are on the listing.
Does the Draper 64440 include a case?
Included components list the marking gauge only. A case is not named.
The Stanley 2-47-064 is a moulded plastic gauge at £11.02, with a stated size of about 215 mm, a thumbscrew, and scales at 2 mm and 1/16 in. It scores 4.2 from 330 amazon.co.uk reviews and weighs 90 g. In 20 UK texts, buyers like that it does not stick the way a tight wooden gauge can, and that the screw hold is acceptable for marking out wood projects. The same reviews say the 2 mm marks are too coarse to set from, so they use a ruler, and that the printed marks rub off. The slim stem is hard to grip, and the triangular head rolls, so the line is missed. One buyer still called it more accurate than the traditional wooden gauges they had owned. A bullet offers a limited lifetime warranty, while the listing's AA batteries line and ±0.001 inch figure are scrape noise on an unpowered gauge and are not working specs. Set the fence from a rule if the leaf thickness sits inside a 2 mm step.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a plastic shoe that slides without wax, for occasional marking, and you set the distance from a rule.
Less suitable: A heavy fence that must not roll, or a setting finer than the 2 mm steps.
Specifications
Common questions
What are the Stanley gauge scales?
The listing says one side is graduated at 2 mm and the reverse at sixteenths of an inch. A size of 215 mm is also stated.
Does the Stanley gauge need batteries?
The listing includes an AA-batteries line and an accuracy of ±0.001 inch. Those fields do not match an unpowered plastic gauge and are not treated as working specifications. The bullets describe moulded plastic and a thumbscrew.
The Amtech 6 inch gauge is listed at £8.49 with a hardwood body, a brass screw and a hardened steel pin, and it scores 4.2 from 131 amazon.co.uk reviews. The technical material field also says Metal, Plastic, so the page does not settle the materials. In 23 UK reviews the tool is called sturdy for the money when the stock fits, and one buyer adapted two of them into a pencil gauge. The same file includes a pin described as blunt at about 0.8–0.9 mm across, a fence hole cut at an angle, and a retired joiner whose stock stayed loose even when the nut was tight. One pin needed resecuring, and a little play remains until the screw is fully home. Listed weight is 187 g, with dimensions of 28 x 11 x 7 cm. The brass lock avoids the plastic flash you meet on cheaper turn screws, provided the bore in the fence is square. Cross-grain work and a two-pin mortice still want a different cutter.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a 6 inch pin gauge with a brass screw for with-the-grain cabinet marking, after you check the bore.
Less suitable: Lines across the grain, or a mortice that needs two pins.
Specifications
Common questions
What size is the Amtech marking gauge?
The title says 6 inch. Product dimensions on the listing are 28 x 11 x 7 cm and the weight is 187 g.
Is the Amtech stock hardwood?
The title says a hardwood body, a brass screw and a steel pin. The material field says Metal, Plastic, and the colour field says Transparent.
The QWORK WD40899 carries a 12 mm hardened wheel on a 304 stainless rod, with a brass face and a metric scale to 12 cm, at £18.88, scoring 4.0 from 222 amazon.co.uk reviews at 279 g. The title says mortice gauge, the cutter is one wheel, the bullets name soft wood, and a knurled lock nut is claimed to move the setting by 0.2 mm. In 21 UK reviews, some amateur cabinetmakers like the weight, the micro-adjust and a double lock. A detailed review says the build is too poor to be precise, the wheel indents rather than severs fibres, and the stem scale does not match the micro-adjust. One unit arrived seized and went back, the round body rolls on the bench, and no spare cutter is listed. Use the metric rod for softwood lines and check the nut against a rule, because the 0.2 mm figure is the listing's claim. Two mortice cheeks still need two spurs.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You scribe softwood on a metric rod and you will check the adjusting nut with a rule.
Less suitable: Hardwood, a checked 0.2 mm error, or two cheeks at chisel width.
Specifications
Common questions
What wood is the QWORK wheel for?
The bullets say a 12 mm hardened wheel for smoother scribing on soft woods, a 304 stainless rod and a brass face. Hardwood is asked and not claimed.
How fine is the QWORK adjustment?
The listing says 1 mm graduations over 12 cm, and 0.2 mm by turning the knurled lock nut. That 0.2 mm figure is a listing claim. A review says the scale and the micro-adjust did not agree.
The Silverline CB78 scribes one line from a hardwood stock, with a single hardened spur, a knurled brass screw and a 230 mm beam, at £4.84. Across 79 amazon.co.uk reviews the star line is 3.5, and the eleven UK texts do not agree on the fit. Some stocks will not slide because varnish has stuck the head to the stem, and the brass screw is too stiff to turn by hand. Other heads are sloppy, so the gauge will not hold a line once you have set it. Buyers who get a free-moving beam call the hardwood comfortable for a non-professional workshop and prefer the single pin when they do not want a second spur. One buyer altered the pin depth because it was not adjustable in the way they expected. At 170 g it is a cheap first gauge if you will ease the varnish and the screw before you trust a hinge margin.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want one cheap pin for lines with the grain and you will sand varnish and ease the screw.
Less suitable: You need a stock that slides and locks on the first try, or two pins for a mortice.
Specifications
Common questions
How long is the Silverline CB78?
The title says 230 mm. The listing dimensions are 31 x 7 x 12 cm and the weight is 170 g.
Does the Silverline CB78 have one pin or two?
The bullets say a single hardened marking spur, a hardwood body and a knurled brass adjusting screw. A case is not in the included components.
Is the Silverline body oak?
The listing asks that and does not answer it. The bullet says hardwood, not a species.
Twelve amazon.co.uk listings are on this page. The score on each card is the star rating multiplied by 20, so 4.7 becomes 94. That figure is the public rating scaled to 100. It is not a lab error, a measured scribe, or a British Standard result. Review counts and the written UK texts shape the notes, not a second score. A star line from six reviews is not treated as a verdict. The top pick is the Clarke Brothers wheel gauge, the highest score. Best value is the Draper 64440 at about £7.99, 4.3 from 401 reviews. Odorkle's higher score rests on six reviews and is not the value pick. The weights below are the buying checks, in the order used for this comparison. They do not alter the star-line score.
Cutter for the grain
30%A pin suits lines with the grain. A wheel or knife is cleaner across the grain and around a corner. Lee Valley's UK guide matches that split.
One line or two
20%Mortice-and-tenon work wants two spurs set to the chisel. A single pin needs two settings. A title that says mortice, with one wheel, does not supply that pair.
Lock and fence fit
25%Reviews in this set cite screws that shift, stocks that will not slide, and stocks that stay loose. Recheck the distance after you lock.
Scale as a convenience
10%Stanley prints 2 mm steps. QWORK claims 0.2 mm via a nut. Set from a rule or the workpiece. No listing states a measured error.
Spare cutter
15%File a pin. A wheel is harder to renew. Several reviews call new wheels blunt, so a spare in the box changes the purchase.
A marking gauge scribes one line, or a pair of lines, parallel to an edge. Read the cutter before the brand: pin, mortice spurs, or wheel. Then read whether the lock is brass, plastic or a knurled nut, and whether a spare cutter is in the box. Prices below are the amazon.co.uk figures stored for these twelve listings. The scores are those star ratings times 20. These gauges were not lab-tested.
A marking gauge scribes a line parallel to a reference edge. It is finer than a pencil line. On these amazon.co.uk listings the buyers are mostly DIYers, students and cabinetmakers choosing a pin, a mortice or combination gauge, or a wheel. Quality, on this evidence, is a fence that stays on the edge, a lock that holds, and a cutter that severs fibres instead of tearing them. No dedicated British Standard for this hand tool showed up in the HSE woodworking list used here.
Stanley prints 2 mm steps, and reviews say buyers set from a ruler because those marks are too coarse. QWORK states 0.2 mm by a nut. A review says that nut did not match the stem scale. No listing here states a measured error. Set from a rule or the workpiece, then recheck after you lock.
Paul Sellers' note on the gauge is to trail the pin and not bury it. A heavy pass, or a pin held so the grain can steer it, tears the line. Register the fence on the face, not on the corner only. Stop when the cutter is blunt. A spare wheel left in the box does not mark anything.
The M2049 brand line is IRWIN and the manufacturer field is Stanley Black & Decker. Joseph Marples of Sheffield is a different maker. Treat the listing as a hardwood pin with a plastic thumbscrew, not as that Sheffield gauge.
A pin suits lines with the grain. A wheel or knife is cleaner across the grain and around a corner. Lee Valley's UK guide matches that split, and it is the first buying check here. The pin gauges in the twelve listings are the Silverline CB78, the Draper 64440, the Amtech 6 inch gauge and the Irwin Marples M2049. The Draper 64458 is the marking-and-mortice gauge. Amazon's material field says wood and does not number the pins. The maker's page lists beech, hardened spurs and a brass slide.
Reviews in this set cite screws that shift, stocks that will not slide, and stocks that stay loose. Silverline buyers describe varnish that sticks the head, a brass screw too stiff to turn, or a head too sloppy to hold a line. Draper 64440 reviews include mould flash on the plastic screw, beams that need sanding, and stocks that will not slide without force. Irwin reviews include a plastic thumbscrew that does not always hold and a setting that moves after you tighten.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want one pin left at a hinge or lining margin, and you will ease the screw and the beam. The Draper 64440 is best value at about £7.99, with one hardened spur and 4.3 from 401 reviews. The title says beechwood. The material field says Plastic. It is a single spur, so a mortice still needs a second setting.
A joinery student matching two lines to a chisel wants a combination gauge. The Draper 64458 is the marking-and-mortice listing here, at about £13.19 and 4.4 from 304 reviews. Amazon says wood and does not number the pins. The maker's page lists beech, hardened spurs and a brass slide at £27.
Furniture lines across the grain want a wheel and a spare cutter. The Clarke Brothers wheel gauge is the top pick at about £26.25, with a scale to 150 mm, two replacement cutters and 4.7 from 3,106 ratings. Four UK texts are in the file. End grain may still favour a pin.
The top pick is the Clarke Brothers wheel gauge at about £26.25. It scores 94, from 4.7 and 3,106 amazon.co.uk ratings multiplied by 20, with a scale to 150 mm, two replacement cutters and a flat spot claimed on the fence. Four UK review texts in the file are positive and state no fault, so a criticism pattern is not established from those texts. Best value is the Draper 64440 at about £7.99. It scores 86, from 4.3 and 401 reviews, with one hardened spur. The title says beechwood and a plastic turn screw, while the material field says Plastic. Several beams need easing before the stock holds a line. A mortice still needs a second setting, or the Draper 64458.
Clarke Brothers wheel gauge
Highest score at 94: 4.7 from 3,106 ratings, a scale to 150 mm and two spare cutters. The score is the star line, not a lab test.
Draper 64440 beech pin gauge
A single hardened spur at about £7.99, with 4.3 from 401 reviews. Odorkle's higher score rests on six reviews.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public sources named in the research digest, plus the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Retrieved October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures stored for this set. This is not a laboratory test. Affiliate tag pcuk26-21.
