Sure, if you’ve been cutting dovetails daily for the past forty years, you probably don’t need a dovetail marker — experience and a practiced eye are all you need. But for the rest of us, especially woodworking novices, a dovetail marker is an invaluable tool, making layout quick, precise, and repeatable with confidence.

Most woodworkers use angles between 7° and 10° for hardwoods and around 10° to 14° for softwoods. The No. 444 Adjustable Marker  covers all these angles — and more.

Setting the marker to your preferred dovetail angle couldn’t be easier. Simply loosen the retaining knob, adjust the brass pointer to your chosen angle, and lock it in place. The laser-etched markings are easy to read, and you can even set the pointer at half-degree increments for fine-tuned precision.

I love tools that serve multiple functions, and this one delivers. By setting the pointer to 0°, the No. 444 doubles as a saddle square, allowing you to mark out face and edge lines on narrow stock — up to about 2-1/2″ wide. Super convenient.

The No. 444 Dovetail Marker isn’t the cheapest option out there, but its versatility and precision make it a solid investment for any woodworker looking to streamline their dovetail layout process.