Marking, mortise, and combination gauges come in myriad styles and prices. What differentiates them from one another is the number and type of cutters each employs. Marking gauges have a single cutter for scribing one line at a time. Mortise gauges have two cutters and are used mostly for marking parallel lines to establish the width of a mortise. Combination gauges typically have three cutters: a single cutter on one side of the beam for use as a marking gauge and an additional pair on the other side of the beam for laying out mortises.

The Veritas wheel-style marking gauge has a steel beam graduated in 16ths of an inch and a brass fence and thumbscrew.The fence slides on the beam with a smooth friction fit. There is no microadjust feature, though, and because the wheel cutter is held in place with a round-headed screw, the cutter must be removed from the tool for sharpening.

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