Blue Spruce Toolworks designs, manufactures and sells only the finest quality hand tools for the discriminating woodworker. Blue Spruce tools are a return to the cabinet shops of old, where beautiful works were created by craftsmen working quietly and skillfully, with hand tools at a sturdy bench.

Blue Spruce Toolworks introduced to the market, in 2002, the first marking knife specifically designed to the needs of smaller scale, precision joinery. The precision blade was only .031 inches thick and .25 inches wide; the handle was finely turned from beautiful woods. It was met with much enthusiasm. Many styles of marking tools are now available from Blue Spruce Toolworks, LLC with options for nearly any wood for the handles. Some customer favorites include cocobolo, rosewood and figured maple. Custom sets have been made from ebony, African blackwood and other exotics, often supplied by the customer themselves. The Blue Spruce Toolworks’ small marking knife was rated “highly recommended” in the spring 2005 issue of Woodworking Magazine and had a very favorable review in Canadian Woodworking’s June 2005 issue. Several new marking tools have been added to the product line and many more products are in development. The marking knives and chisel blades are made from A-2 tool steel hardened and tempered to approximately 60 Rc. The standard material for handles is currently cocobolo or rosewood.

Dave and Dawn Jeske reside in Oregon with their two teenagers, Andrew and Hannah. Dave also shares shop space with Mandy, his adorable bench dog. A mechanical engineer by trade, Dave has experience in advanced materials, precision machine design, lean manufacturing processes and business management. He has worked in a variety of fields including high performance composite armor for military vehicles, the international space station, various defense systems and machine design. He enjoys the beautiful Pacific Northwest and loves to hike and explore the backcountry. He is a self-taught woodworker with a passion for hand tools. Many of the tools he uses are from the 1800’s including his favorite dovetail and small tenon saws and many molding planes.

Dave's customers rave about his products! Here are some unedited, unsolicited comments:

"Thank you so much for the magnificent chisels. My surgical residency makes time ever so precious. That wood had been lost into the Atlantic as dock crossmember for at least 60 years. My dad reclaimed it thinking it would be interesting for his avid woodworking interest. What a surprise he had opening that set of chisels for Christmas!"

"The tools arrived last Friday. I've had a chance to use them a bit and am very pleased with them. The fit in the hand and overall balance is very comfortable. You did an outstanding job matching up the grain on all of the handles and showing it to its' best effect."

"It came yesterday. All I can say is Wow! Beautiful wood and beautiful workmanship! The balance and handle shape are perfect. I love the orange color that this piece of cocobolo has...very distinctive"

And the experts certainly agree! Popular Woodworking's Christopher Schwarz described Dave's knives as "Handmade and Perfect in Every Detail".

The Blue Spruce Toolworks web site features online ordering for stock and custom products, a wealth of information on woods used for tool handles, and quite a gallery of Dave's own woodwork.