Touch up Markers

Everyone has seen them.  Many have used them.  Do they really work?  That answer is not too complicated.  They do work when used on areas of your furniture that are less noticeable.  They work great on chair legs, table bases and most other vertical surfaces.  When I use the word vertical, I typically mean any area that is not a top surface such as a desktop.  What happens when a touch up marker is used on a top surface is normally a very muddy eye sore.  Natural room light tends to reflect the touched up area in a negative way.  Users often trade one eye sore for another when using the markers on top surfaces.  Often a scratch or gauge on a top surface is best left for someone who has more experience with wood touch up.  This is pretty much the touch up marker in a nut shell.  The stain inside the marker includes a drying and hardening agent used to help the touch up become permanent.  This makes the marker very easy to use.  It becomes a matter of simply "coloring" in the damage.  With so many stain colors to choose from, markers have become very popular.  In conclusion, I would say that touch markers do have their place in the furniture touch up industry but would carefully warn it's user that it's not a "cure all" to wood damage.