Most bevel gauges on the market are poor for measuring edge angles. The typical fixed-angle type cannot give you a precise reading on an existing angle, and the apex apertures to protect the edge from damage can cause problems if your bevel width is more narrow than the aperture radius. Most adjustable angle finders have an overlapped hinge that means that at low angles your V notch disappears completely due to overlap of the rules, and therefore you need arms long enough to cause a V notch to occur at the relevant angles you’re measuring. While we still need to optimize the dimensions for the use case to improve readability once a scale is applied. This prototype was made using steel pallet banding and gunmetal-finished brass compression rivets like we use on our PetroCor sheaths. It weighs only 0.2 oz and is 4″ long.

A 1″ wide solid steel chisel made from a section of a 1/2″-thick 1080 steel snow plow blade. The blade was heat treated, but soft, so the blade and struck end were heated, quenched, and differentially tempered to give a 57 RC blade and 45 RC struck end, with the main length being roughly 35 RC.