Race knife

"Race knife also known as a timber scribe (scorer, tree marker) is a knife with a U-shaped end sometimes called a scoop knife for cutting marks in wood by lumbermen, carpenters, coopers, surveyors, and others. The reasons for making marks varies and includes keeping count (tally marks), identifying parts (carpenter´s marks), numbering, and tracing patterns around a template as a part of marking out. The gouges left by the timber scribe are more durable than pencil or chalk marks.[citation needed]

Two basic forms of race knife are a simple, fixed or folding, scooped blade and a scooped blade paired with a point around which the blade cut a circle or partial circle. The circles and partial circles allowed more variety in the patterns of marks rather than only using Roman numeral-like marks." - (en.wikipedia.org 20.10.2021)