Thomas Flinn Half Blind Dovetail Kerfing Tool Extender, 0.025" Thick Blade Ground Square, Folded Solid Brass Back, Beech Handle

Thomas Flinn & Co., have been manufacturing premium quality handsaws and hand planes for over 100 years in Sheffield, England.

Using a Kerfing Tool to speed up cutting half blind dovetails was popularized by Tage Frid in 1979 in his book on Joinery. Mr. Frid recommended using an old saw blade or cabinet scraper to aid in cleaning out the waste between half blind dovetail pins. This Kerfing Tool works by deepening the angled saw kerf in the area where the dovetail saw blade cannot reach. Start by sawing out the pins, being sure to cut to and not past your scribed lines. Drop the Kerfing Tool in the saw kerf, and gently strike the brass back with a wooden mallet to cut away the material remaining in the corner of the angled saw cut. Stop when you reach the bottom of your saw cut or scribed line. Take several small bites to prevent splitting the wood. Now you have a clean pin wall, and cleaning out the remaining waste between the pins will be much easier.

This Kerfing Tool has a hardened blade that is ground square and sharp, and can be easily sharpened with a fine file. The kerf plate is 1.125” deep, 3” long and 0.025” thick, the same thickness as most western dovetail saws. The back is folded solid brass. The handle is stained beech with a solid brass ferrule. Overall length is 8.5”.