using calipers as scribes?

[desbromilow]

I use my $30 caliper for scribing but never my Mitutoyo.

If you first coat the surface with a black magic marker then when you scribe you're only going through ink and there's little wear, but my cheap caliper still has the duty.

I can understand using the jaws of a cheap caliper for lines in marker fluid/ whiteboard marker - but when you see youtube videos of people cutting through rust to make a line, you know the tool is being doomed.