Stanley No. 77 Marking & Mortise Gauge

I found this in a free pile at the end of someone's driveway.  Some folks just don't know what they have.

Rosewood and brass, you adjust the scriber using the thumbscrew at the end, which moves the scriber back and forth via a brass plate into which the thumb screw is threaded.  Apparently it's circa 1910.  Lovely old tool, showing its age and heavy use.  If it could talk!

According to the Norse Woodsmith, "The Stanley #77 marking gauges are some of the best designed marking gauges out there, but unfortunately are no longer available... There are several manufacturers out there today making them, but they either suffer from high price or from low quality.  In my opinion, the high price commanded for these tools are well worth it, as they are surprisingly complex to make for such simple tool."

Edwin T. Hamilton.  The Boy Builder.  Dodd, Mead & Co., 1933.