Once considered a rather crude way of joining long solid-wood boards on edge, finger joints are now being used in fine precision joinery. This is due to the improvements in both machining and tooling accuracy. With solid wood costs increasing and availability of fine woods decreasing, finger jointing stock allows for better utilization of stock and cost savings.

The joint is incredibly strong, and the deeper the fingers of the joint, the stronger it is. The glue surface is increased dramatically because of this machining process. To take advantage of the developments which have boosted the strength and durability of recent years, it's recommended to use specialized, high-precision machinery and an insert knife tooling system which will preserve the integrity of each finger.