Sarah's Take on Scribe Tools: Whats the Deal?

Scribe tools are as ubiquitous in the cookie world as piping tips are—they’re everywhere!  And they can definitely range in price and style.  So what’s the deal?

Most new cookiers probably start out the same way, using a toothpick to pop air bubbles and make wet-on-wet designs.  This is cost effective and easy, especially at the beginning of your cookie journey when you’re not quite sure yet how far you’ll go.  The downside to toothpicks (besides the fact that they always blended into my cookie decorating area and I could never find the same one twice lol) is that they are a) porous, and b) so darn small.  I would go through a bunch of them for every order, one for every color; I didn’t want to chance not being able to get all of the previous color off and contaminating my new color.  I also found that the size and length didn’t work for me—I needed something a little longer and more ergonomic for my hand to hold.

Once you decide to invest in a cookie scribe, you’ll be faced with numerous options to consider. 

• Silicone beads can be slightly softer on the hand.
• Scribes with round beads of all the same size can tend to roll right off your counter. Scribes with graduating-size round beads will tend to swing in a circle if they roll.  And scribes that have at least one flat bead are more likely to stay in place and not roll at all.
• Scribe length. My personal preference is the 6” scribes, as I feel I have more control over them than I do the shorter 4” scribes.
• Many scribes on the market are literally just turkey lacers with beads on them—and that can work perfectly well! Some do have tips that are a little more blunt, so that’s something to keep an eye out for.
• Dangly charms. While adorable, they can have both an upside and a downside.  If they are oddly-shaped, they can help keep your scribe from rolling (win!).  If they are overly large, they can be distracting and/or cumbersome (boo!).