Izzy Swan, a talented YouTuber, has come out with his own Signature Series straddle square, which will be manufactured by Mancuso Precision Products.
A few peopled emailed in tips or asked for my take on the straddle square, so let’s get to it. I also reached out to Izzy, as I have a few questions I hope he’ll answer, but haven’t heard back yet.
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Shown here is a saddle square, a layout tool designed for quicker and more accurate layouts across 2 adjacent sides of a wood board or sheet.
I wrote about saddle squares a few times now, and Ben had reviewed a Woodpeckers Saddle T-Square, a longer version of a saddle square.
The new Izzy Swan tool is a straddle square, which provides a reference marking edge for 3 surfaces of a board – both faces and an edge.
The Izzy Swan straddle square has a spring-action clamp for quick adjustments. Open it up, slide it onto an edge of your board, and with 3 pencil marks you should perfectly placed lines on 3 sides of a board.
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You would want to mark multiple surfaces of your board for making crosscuts, laying out tenons, and things like that.
A square can help extend the lines across the faces of your boards, which you’d need to do anyways if you were using other methods to mark each board surface.
Izzy Swan also designed his straddle square with a 45° edge, which serves two purposes. First, it lets you mark out 45° lines on the face of a board. Beyond that, it can help you find the center of narrower boards.
The square is said to support workpieces 2-1/2″ in height, and so it can help you find the center of a board’s face on workpieces under 5″ wide. Assuming of course that your edges are reasonably flat and parallel to each other.
The straddle square can work with boards 1/8″ to 1-3/4″ thick.
Does it look familiar to you?
It looked familiar to me, and that’s because I have used Woodpeckers’ Straddle Squares before. I haven’t unpacked them from our move yet, but they worked quite well and were a pleasure to use.
Woodpeckers’ Straddle Squares came out as One Time Tools in late 2012, and then again in mid-2015. If you ask me, I’d guess these are due for a re-release in 2017. But if you ask me, they should re-release their Corner Radius Quick-Jig sooner – I’ve been kicking myself for not ordering a set the last time those router accessories came around.
The Izzy Swan straddle square is a little different, as it has that 45° edge, and is meant to be a one-size-fits-all kind of tool. The Woodpeckers, which was a repeated One Time Tool, was available in 2 sizes: small with a 1/4″ to 3/4″ capacity, and large with a 3/4″ to 1-3/4″ capacity.
The Izzy square goes from 1/8″ to 1-3/4″.
Woodpeckers’ and Mancuso-made Izzy squares are all made from anodized aluminum with stainless steel hardware.
I had to look close to realize that, despite the visual similarities, the Izzy Swan square is NOT made by Woodpeckers. Woodpeckers does manufacture tools for other brands, and I even have a few black-anodized Woodpeckers tools that were sold at Woodcraft under the their {former?) Pinnacle brand.
Izzy’s square seemingly evolved from his DIY straddle square. At the end of the post you’ll find his video where he shows you how to make a straddle square of any size using Delrin, a rigid plastic that is cut and machined nicely.
To be frank, just looking at the product images, the Woodpeckers straddle squares look more refined. I love mine, and am annoyed that I haven’t found them yet. If I want to replace them, I’ll need to wait until their next One Time Tool offering.
The Woodpeckers’ Straddle Squares were $120 for the 2-piece set, or $50 for the smaller size and $80 for the larger size.
Izzy Swan’s straddle square, made by Mancuso, is priced at $90. It’s currently on pre-order, with a shipping estimate of June 19th, 2017.
While the Woodpeckers squares looks nicer, and might perhaps be a little smoother to use, an assumption I’m making based on my affinity for their finely-finished custom machined knobs, the Izzy square has added functionality and offers a one-size-fits-all size at an intermediate price.
$90 is still a lot to spend on a layout tool. If you’re in agreement, make your own.
Personally, I know I’d spend way more than that in raw materials, tooling, and time. And while the process would surely be enjoyable, I’m at the point of my life where free time is scarce. I have a lot of projects to get to, and can only squeeze in tool or accessory-building projects if there’s no off-the-shelf solution I can afford.
Price: $90
Made in USA
Buy Now(via Izzy Tools)
Compare(via Woodpeckers)
Would I buy one? Possibly. I love my Woodpeckers Straddle Squares. The Izzy square doesn’t look quite as well-polished aesthetically or functionally (I’d like to see it with a larger pull-knob), but it offers more functionality and a combined size range. Its larger size might make it less ideal for use on smaller boards, though.
It costs less than the Woodpeckers 2-tool set. Plus, the Woodpeckers version might not be be repeated as another One Time Tool. Even if they are, and they were next month’s One Time Tool, it would be several months before the squares shipped.
If you want the straddle square functionality now, pre-order the Izzy square, which is expected to ship in 2 months. If you’re not sure, go ahead and wait. Think things over, or add it to your wishlist. Father’s Day is coming up…
None of these straddle squares can do anything that cannot be done with other layout tools. They simply work quicker and a little easier to achieve accurate lines or marks across multiple board faces.
Learn More
Izzy Swan Promo Video (Usage Examples)
Woodpeckers Straddle Squares
Izzy’s DIY Methods
What I like about Izzy Swan is that he gets things done, and he shows you how he does it.
In one video, he freehand-drills his own pocket holes in 2x4s. He doesn’t waste time finding a jig or making a custom angled drill guide. He needs something done in a certain way, and just do it. It was a “quick and dirty” bench, but still… he gets things done and I find it inspirational.
BruLew
I like Woodpecker and Izzy but both tools are a huge waste of money at that price that can be better spent on other necessary tools in the workshop. When I get to the point that I’m buying 1 trick pony marking guage, then I know the end is near.
Nathan
between the 2 I would buy the mancusso one before I bought the woodpeckers one. Again no need for the extra machining and the like to get the same usefulness out of it and both are still over priced.
But I do like the DIY method and would figure you could pull that off for 30 dollars.
Stuart
I tend to pick and choose which tools I’ll spend more on, and which I can compromise on.
With this, it’s definitely a luxury that one doesn’t “need,” but the time savings can add up.
This is absolutely not for beginners, even if they have money to burn.
I’d sooner spend more on a good ruler and good squares than this. And that’s what I did. But once one has all the basics and have put them through a lot of use, they should be in a good position to weigh the cost and value of unitasker and premium ones at that.
I was looking at Mancuso, and they’re a relative new company with just 2 products of similar design.
The person who buys this will be the type that uses saddle squares or other squares to achieve the same work, and who can put this to use immediately and regularly.
Ignoring the price for moment, what about the functionality? I’m curious about the 45 degree feature, and also wondering if the size will be too cumbersome for use on smaller stock.
BigDan
“This is absolutely not for beginners, even if they have money to burn.”
Challenge accepted.
Stuart
What I mean is that there are far too many more impactful tools for a beginner to buy for the same money.
Big Dan
Oh ok, agree.
The woodpecker version (one time offering aside for a moment) is something I would put on my ongoing wish list for family members to reference for birthdays and Christmas. Something I dont need enough to go buy myself over other items but would totally love getting as a gift/be pleasantly surprised.
Koko the Talking Ape
Too expensive, but I like how it grabs onto the work. You can wrap cut lines around corners with a carpenter square, but it requires two hands, and if you need to rotate the piece, it requires three hands.
Nate
Buy two plastic triangle squares and join them to a piece of lexan to achieve the same thing. Mine is 1 3/4 wide because I’m laying out doors.
fred
There are a few Veritas saddle squares – that can be had individually or part of a kit (that Stuart posted about in May 2014) . These can only mark 2 faces at a time:
http://www.leevalley.com/us/home/Search.aspx?action=n
Shinwa also make a few variants of a saddle/miter square.
My own take on this is that I feel that I’m accurate enough grabbing and using a small Starrett combination square – although using one to mark 3 or 4 faces means that you have to take care aligning one line after another.
Stuart
The link takes me to a search page showing my last search query, but I believe you meant to point to a saddle square search.
Veritas Saddle Squares
Miter Saddle Squares
Dovetail Saddle Markers
I own a Veritas saddle square, and it’s a good tool. A great bargain too, at just under $15. I also have one of the dovetail markers. I want to get back into the practice of dovetails, will pull it out for its hiding spot in a few weeks.
Robert
re: the Woodpeckers corner radius jigs you mentioned: did Toolguyd review those? (I couldn’t find it in the archives, though I did find Benjamen’s review of Rockler’s version in ABS). I would be interested in a comparison… if not now, then when Woodpecker rereleases this product.
Stuart
No, sorry.
They have a recent One time Tool shipping soon (http://www.woodpeck.com/corner-jig-2016.html). That’s been repeated a few times. The one I was referring to is smaller and made of one-piece tools (http://www.woodpeck.com/CRQJ.html), which I thought might be better for smaller stock. But now I’m thinking that if I could always use a larger jig to make a template for smaller stock. Price-wise, I think the larger jig gives you more, and so I’m doubting whether the smaller one will be repeated any time soon.
Ben’s Rockler jig preview for the curious: https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/rockler-corner-radius-routing-templates/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Jason
At $90 you have to be kidding me. I am sure it’s nice, but that price is crazy. It’s good to see that this tool is made in America though.
BonPacific
$90 is the price you pay for something new made in America. Frankly I’m surprised it’s as cheap as it is.
Todd B
The reason that it’s so cheap is that he had to do very little R&D, as he basically copied Woodpecker’s work.
William
I like this one allot. The 45 Degree feature is very useful, tempted
ktash
I got the 90 degree Woodpecker’s saddle square shown in the top picture. It was $29. It was red, shiny, solid, and I bought it to treat myself. Because it was $29 it was less than the cost of pizza and a movie.
Though it was an impulse treat-myself buy, I find I use it all the time because it’s compact and does the job quickly. It lives on a shelf right under my workbench, is easy to grab. I like simple, substantial tools like this. It feels good in my hand. Not sure why that’s important, but it is.
Izzy’s channel is great and he does some clever and useful things. He’s done at least one product with Fastcap. Because I have the wp square that I use all the time, I probably wouldn’t buy Izzy’s square. The cost is above ordinary “treat myself.” is also a part of it.
Ha, ha, I wouldn’t buy the wp or even rockler corner jigs due to cost, but I do think about it when something comes up where I might use it. It’s one of those things that stays with you, unlike some of their other one-time tools. I’ll probably make my own if I find I really have a need for it. Toolify on youtube has pretty clever plans for one.
ktash
After looking at Ben’s review of the Rockler corner jig, I realized that it may be more affordable than I thought, especially if on sale.
Leonard A
Technique is better than 90$ tool.
The fewer tools the better. Last thing I want is a drawer full of one use tools.
LenIn Sebastopol
Dropped it once, screw now bent. Where can I get another screw?
Otherwise, useless as balls on a cow.
Stuart
Contact Izzy Swan or the seller?
alberto SANTOLARIA MAIRAL
Hello, I am Spanish and I live in Spain. I am interested in the product. Do you still have it in store?
thank you
Izzy Swan Straddle Square
Stuart
Sorry, it looks like their store is down.