By far the quickest way to get your desired shape to size is with this tool. The blade is 12" long,(I have 15"ers down to 5") and razor sharp. Its a work horse that can do post and beam work as well as shearing this feather to the smoothest cut, and giving you the same on any end grain, bar none. I"ll cut the inside and outside miter to within fractions of the finished angle here. I bought it at the Woodbury, Ct. flea market in 1975 for $16 and have thousands of hours on it, doing all kinds of work, and maybe I've taken a 1/16" off in sharpening - great steel ! No, I don't sleep with it, but its one hell of a tool ! >