To start woodworking, you don’t need much more than a saw, some boards, and an interest in working with your hands. However, knowing where to buy hand tools for woodworking can be challenging. Here at Woodcraft, we have woodworking hand tools for every project and budget.
Folks tend to naturally build a selection of tools that help them accomplish the kind of work that interests them. And as you build, you learn concepts and processes every woodworker should know, like wood movement, basic design principles, and dressing lumber. Learn more about these skills through programs like Doing Good with Wood.
Next, a woodworker needs to know how to cut and finesse a good joint. With that in mind, and after chatting with a few woodworking chums, I settled on this list of the best hand tools for woodworking. From measuring and marking to sawing and planing, these basic woodshop tools will help you make strong, tight joints and much more.
Many tools are critical to a productive shop, but here I want to focus on joinery and accurate woodworking. I thought about the basic woodworking hand tools a beginner really benefits from. Then I considered hybrid woodworking, where you use power tools to get most of the way there, then finesse the work with hand tools. Finally, I factored in what a woodworker needs to know — good joinery. Nevertheless, no tool on this list is good for only one job. Quite the opposite, in fact. Each hand tool for woodworking here has a wide variety of everyday uses, which I’ll touch on below.
1. 12' Tape Measure
This woodshop stalwart may seem like a no-brainer, or maybe so universal that it’s not worth mentioning among essential woodworking hand tools. However, tape measures are the unsung heroes of almost any shop and often the first tool I reach for when beginning a project. To start, I measure the space where the finished piece will go. Then, I take the rule to the rough lumber to find the width and length of my initial cuts. Later, I use my tape to determine the parts’ final dimensions and to lay out joinery.
The tape measure’s versatility doesn’t end there. You can use it for several simple shop tips, like determining inside dims, making a trammel to mark large circles, and “burning an inch” for accuracy when the tang is worn out. I like this 12' tape measure from Fastcap. If your work leans more toward carpentry and DIY, you may need a 16- or 25-footer.
2. 12" Combination Square
While it may seem like one of the more basic woodshop tools, a combo square does more than check 90-degree angles. It can also check for 45-degree angles, not to mention its inherent aptitude for layout. The 12" combo square suits most furniture project layout tasks, such as measuring out precise joints and setting up saw blades. Insightful readers will notice a few glaring omissions from this list of must-have hand tools, but the combo square makes up for them in its own way.
This well-rounded rule can also serve as a marking gauge and a depth gauge. Loosening the lock and removing the head provide a reliable straightedge and a small level. When deciding where to buy hand tools for woodworking, compare details that affect precision, such as squares with heads that lock securely. I prefer the Starrett combination square with satin rules and etched markings, which are easier to read, even with markings down to 64ths of an inch.
3. Sliding Bevel Gauge
Like the combo square, the sliding bevel gauge, or T-bevel, is excellent for tool setup and checking parts for 90 degrees. But the bevel gauge excels at non-square angles, making it one of the best hand tools for woodworking. As your woodworking design chops develop, you’ll soon surpass needing all cuts to be 45- or 90-degrees, and start playing the angles. This useful tool assists with layout tasks like dovetail joinery and transferring angles.
Rest the handle against what you’re gauging, loosen the lock to flush the blade against the adjacent surface, and then snug the lock. This gets the angle just right without math. From there, you can transfer your angle to the workpiece by striking a line along the blade. I like the Shinwa sliding bevel gauge with the lock on the end of the handle. That makes it easier to transfer angles in either direction without the lock on the handle’s face interfering with the workpiece.
4. Marking Knife
A pencil is perhaps one of the most basic woodworking hand tools for laying out joint cutlines, but it has a few shortcomings that a marking knife solves. First, a pencil dulls as you use it, becoming wider and less precise. Also, a pencil point may stray from the straightedge, pulled off course by the workpiece’s grain or dust and debris. And even clean pencil lines can be hard to see on certain wood species. A marking knife severs wood fibers, creating sharp, easy-to-see lines.
The marking knife’s real benefit, though, is the reference surface it creates for cutting joints. A chisel’s cutting edge or a saw blade’s teeth fit into the marking gauge’s groove. I prefer V-shaped blades, such as the Ohkubo marking knife, with flat backs for solid registration against straightedges, and spear points for ambidextrous cutting.
5. 8" Gents Saw
Learning to cut straight lines consistently with a handsaw is an invaluable skill for any woodworker. Plus, for small or one-off jobs, a handsaw may be faster to use than setting up a power saw. A gent’s saw is among the must-have multipurpose hand tools for woodworking. It handles all sorts of day-to-day shop tasks, including cutting joints like dovetails. Unlike most western-style saws with teeth set for either ripping or crosscutting, a gent’s saw has teeth for more general use, which is why I like it for this list.
Gent’s saws are relatively inexpensive and range in size from 6" to 10", with 12 to 22 tpi (teeth per inch). In my experience, this 8" Lynx saw is a good Goldilocks version, balancing the number of strokes with tracking, which is the saw’s ability to cut a straight line without drifting.
If you’re starting out or on a budget, consider community-powered alternatives. The Denver Tool Library and similar organizations lend tools to members for learning or to get a job done.
6. Coping Saw
On the jobsite, this saw is designed for coping molding, which involves cutting profiled trim to fit together at corners and other meeting points without gaps. I’ve included the Eclipse coping saw here for hand-cutting dovetails with the tools on this list. But if that’s not your goal, it still earns its keep in your cabinet. These woodworking hand tools feature a wide C-frame set away from the blade, allowing space for the workpiece and deep interior cuts. The saw’s thin blade maneuvers around tight curves. The blade is also removable, which means you can use the tool like a scroll saw to cut intricate internal designs.
Coping saws are economically priced, and their blades are inexpensive and easy to replace. The blades also come in various TPI configurations to match the blade and material.
7. Bench Chisels
This entry might be considered a cheat since it’s not just one tool, but rather a set of hand tools for woodworking. Every woodworker needs a good set of bench chisels; only one won’t cover the wide variety of shop tasks that require a chisel. If you’re hand-cutting your joinery, a quality set of sharp chisels will simplify the job. To learn this indispensable skill, consider a weekend sharpening class at the Port Townsend School of Woodworking.
If you practice hybrid woodworking, chisels are great for sneaking up on the fit. From pairing to chopping, nothing compares to the indispensable bench chisel. Pick up a set that includes 1/4", 1/2", 3/4", and 1". I use these WoodRiver bevel-edge chisels because they can fit into tight, angled corners more accurately than their square-edge counterparts. I also like wooden socket handles, which are easier to replace and less likely to crack than tang-style chisels.
8. Joiner’s Mallet
Most basic woodshop tools on this list involve hand-cutting or finessing joinery, so it’s only fitting that I include one that taps those tight joints together. However, not any mallet or hammer will do. Metal-head versions can mar wood surfaces, while others are limited in their functionality. A chisel mallet, for example, pairs nicely with the previous tool on my list, but that’s about it. Following this list’s criteria of having multiple uses, I chose a square-faced joiner’s mallet. It’s designed to coerce assemblies together just as skillfully as whack chisels.
A joiner’s mallet is one of the few tools on the list that you can easily make yourself. If you take that route, use a durable wood like beech, hard maple, or hickory. Keep in mind comfortable handle grips and good ergonomics to avoid wrist strain. Nevertheless, store-bought joiner’s mallets like this one from Crown Hand Tools are available for a fair price.
9. Low-Angle Block Plane
In my opinion, this tool is among the best hand tools for woodworking. The block plane is perhaps my most-used tool, second only to my tape measure or combo square. There’s not much a block plane can’t do in your shop. In fact, it’s likely to be by your side through several project steps. I first pull it into service for a sneak peek at the grain on rough lumber. Later, I remove saw marks from the edge of a workpiece, smooth a joint, or level edging. Once parts are together, I use it to flush proud joints, ease corners, or add chamfers or roundovers.
Block planes come in a wide variety of styles and brands, but typically only two basic configurations: standard or low angle. I like the latter, which changes the blade’s angle of attack, making it better at handling end grain than the standard and adding to its versatility. I use the WoodRiver low-angle block plane daily.
10. #4 Bench Plane
Bench planes are a broad category of basic woodshop tools with many versions, each having specific uses. For instance, some planes smooth surfaces, while others flatten faces and edges. Helpfully, they break down into identifiable categories, such as smoother planes and jointer planes. Jack planes, which include a low-angle version, are another category. As for how to choose and use hand planes, it’s best to know them by their numbers. A #7 is a jointer plane and a #5 is a jack plane. For collecting a set of hand tools every woodworker should have, I recommend the #4 smoothing plane from WoodRiver.
It’s small enough to learn without too much trouble and handles a range of shop tasks. With a #4, you can remove machine marks, flush frame parts, and fit inset doors and drawers. A well-tuned smoother with a sharp blade can even give you a better surface than sanding.
Put Your Hand Tools to Work
This is by no means a complete list of the best hand tools for woodworking, but it holds some of my favorites that, with a little practice, will improve your woodworking skills. Once you have these basic woodshop tools, I recommend getting yourself a good sharpening set up to keep about half of the tools on this list in good working order. Consider, too, joining a supportive community, like the Kansas City Woodworkers’ Guild. Down the road, I suggest picking up a specialized plane called a shoulder plane for finessing joinery, and a spokeshave to bring shape to your work.
But from there, it’s a matter of just getting started. Get out to your shop and make shavings. Make mistakes. Even if you’re not building anything in particular, practicing the craft is time well spent. If you’re still wondering where to buy hand tools for woodworking, your local Woodcraft store can be a good place to see tools in person, ask questions, and find a class.
CHAD McCLUNG
Chad is a woodworker with nearly 20 years of experience in woodworking and home improvement, covering these topics as a how-to writer, editor, and photographer. He is the former editor-in-chief of Woodcraft Magazine. When not in the shop, Chad is probably adding to a Blu-ray collection that rivals his tool collection.