FAVORITE HAND TOOLS
These are the tools that I use or have used. They are my favorites and ones that I can confidently recommend. I compiled this list as a resource for people looking for my recommendations.
Hand Saws
JAPANESE PULL SAWS
Japanese pull saws are what I started out with as they are much more affordable than new "Western saws". They can use a much thinner blade which gives you a much thinner saw kerf because they cut on the pull stroke while the blade is in tension. They are extremely accurate, blades are cheap to replace, and an absolute pleasure to use. Japanese Saws are still my go to for almost all of my sawing needs.
Japanese Dovetail Saw.
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I personally worked with Suizan to develop this saw and its AMAZING! Fine rip teeth perfect for dovetails
Standard Ryoba Saw.
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This is my favorite all-purpose saw. Rip and Crosscut sides. I use this for initial cuts and sometimes even joinery.
Flush Cut Saw​
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This saw doesnt have teeth "set" which allows you to make flush cuts against wood without marring your work.
Large Ryoba Saw.
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The "Ryoba" has rip cut on one side and crosscut on the other. I use this larger saw on very larger boards and timbers.
Fine "Crosscut" Joinery Saw​.
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This saw has an ultra thin blade like the dovetail saw but it has crosscut teeth. I pair this with the dovetail saw for my fine joinery.
Dedicated Crosscut​
The Kataba saws are for crosscutting boards to length. They are a little more accurate and smoother than a ryoba.
SPECIALTY SAWS
Fret Saw
by Knew Concept
My favorite for removing dovetail waste.
Coping Saw
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Also can be used for removing waste, but blade isn't as fine as a fret saw.
Flush Cut Saw
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Great from cutting dowels and tenon flush. The teeth have no set to scratch surface.
Chisels
Stanley Sweetheart Set
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Timeless socket style design.
Irwin Marples Set
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Another classic brand that still makes nice chisels that are affordable.
Crown Set
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The chisel set that I first started with.
Veritas PM-V11 Chisels
My current go-to chisels
Narex Mortise Set
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Heavy duty set for chopping mortises.
** If you have the time and desire to restore old hand planes I would highly recommend trying that out. It is very rewarding bringing an old hand plane back to life. There are many great videos and articles online on how to do this and what to look out for when shopping for old planes. Great places to look are at your local antique stores, flea markets, and ebay. Otherwise here are some good new planes to get started with.
Low-Angle Jack Plane
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A jack plane is the first plane I would get.
Hand Planes
Smoothing Plane
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The highest selling plane of all time and another must own.
Block Plane
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Another must have plane, great for chamfers and small touch ups.
Jointer Plane
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For flattening larges surfaces and edges.
Shoulder Plane
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Great for squaring up shoulders and cheeks on tenons.
Router Plane
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Allows you to cut to exact depths. Super useful.
Veritas Hand Planes
Very nice high end planes.
Sharpening Tools
They are behind the scene tools, but without good sharpening equipment your cutting tools will not perform properly. Dull tools are more dangerous and lead to frustration. Proper sharpening equipment is as vital as the cutting tool itself.
Extra Coarse Diamond Stone
Used to shape blade, set primary bevel, and quickly remove chips.
4000/8000 Combo Wetstone
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Love this stone! I use this to create my secondary bevel. Its hones an extremely sharp edge.
Simple Honing Guide
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Great for learning or re-establishing bevel angles.
Lapping Fluid
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Good for using on Diamond stones to prevent rusting.
Leather Strop
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I use this as my final step to polish the edge to a razor finish.
Work Sharp Tool Sharpening System
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An all-in-one sharpening system for almost any kind of woodworking tool.
Miscellaneous
Mallet
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My absolute favorite mallet. Its rubberized head wont mark or damage wood or your tools.
Carving Tool Set
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A high quality set that can do most carving jobs.
Marking Knife
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A must for laying out accurate joinery.
Wheel Marking Gauge
A very useful tool for accuate layout. Several companies make them.
Mortise Marking Gauge
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It makes laying out mortise and tenons way easier. I prefer this style to wheel M&T Guages.
Saw Rasp
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This type of rasp is made by combining several saw blades and works incredibly well.
Rasp
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Important tool for shaping wood by hand. This is a good general rasp to start with.
Scraper Set with Burnisher
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Used to get a smooth finish on difficult woods and grain orientations.
Flat Spokeshave
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Great for shaping and rounding edges.
Round Bottom Spokeshave
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Used to remove material on curved pieces.
Drawknife​
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For rough quick wood removal and shaping.
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