Imagine a gear milling method where the toolpath -- not the tool shape -- determines gear characteristics such as diametral pitch or pressure angle. A new concept, involute milling, provides that functionality while delivering machining efficiency and production versatility. The result is a “democratization†of gear milling, moving the process from single-purpose, dedicated machine tools to multipurpose machines that can produce small batches economically because no costly hobs or gashers are needed.