If you’re a hand tool woodworker, or gift buying for one, you’re sort of in a weird predicament. First of all, no one knows what the hell we actually do in that shop all day and they don’t understand the huge dichotomy between quality and not quality tools. The next person that gets me a set of Buck Bros. chisels is getting shanked by one.
If you’re gift buying for someone with a hand tool affinity, you’re probably overwhelmed by all the options, and stumped as to where to find the good good that your giftee desires.
There’s a ton of options out there, but I’m going to highlight five types of tools, and give a couple options for each. Full disclosure, there are affiliate links in here mixed in with non-affiliate links that do benefit myself and this brand. With that being said, I fully believe in all the tools on this list. Some I own already, and some are on my dream list. So if you’re feeling generous… holla at me.
Anyway: on with the show!
Veritas Low Angle
My weapon of choice. Available at https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/planes/bevel-up/49708-veritas-low-angle-jack-plane (non-affiliate link).
The Stanley Low Angle Jack is a comparable, and less expensive alternative to the Veritas. I haven’t used it personally, but it comes highly recommended from some hand tool woodworkers that I trust. One friend has repeatedly told me that while he secretly wished it wasn’t that good, it’s his favorite plane in his arsenal. Go figure.
Affiliate Link Below.
Hand Saws
As a fan of hand cut joinery, I’m thereby a fan of a good hand saw. I’ve been partial to western style back saws, but frankly that’s because I’ve used them for the majority of my woodworking journey as opposed to a high quality Japanese saw.
Here’s what I like about western back saws: 1) They cut fast and quickly 2) They hold their line, likely due to the fact the saw plates are more stout on average 3) They look dope as hell.
With that being said, Japanese saws are for the most part a lot less expensive and for a beginner, easier to use. Want to know a great hack? Take that yellow big box store miter box with the crappy push saw and swap it out for a dozuki. You’ll never look back.
Japanese saws for the average woodworker are easier to get started. The blade seems to not want to jump out of the line when first setting the kerf. They also come in some extremely versatile options. Double sided Ryobas have a rip tooth on one side and a cross cut tooth on the other, so you don’t end up like me with two wicked awesome looking saws that do two completely different things. The spineless versions can also double as good flush cut saws.
For western saws, there’s a lot of great options but I choose to shop small and American.
The Florip Tool Works Benchtop Saw, a spineless monster that can cross cut and rip with ease.
Florip Toolworks is my go to saw brand for back saws. Erik Florip produces a high quality and best value saw (https://floriptoolworks.com/ non-affiliate link). His saws come in remarkably cheaper than his competitors and his sharpening technique produces undeniable results. He has some pretty cool custom options as far as handle species, but even his basic cherry handles are beautiful and tend to show a lot of figure. The handle styles are ergonomic and comfortable and the above picture bench top saw quickly became my favorite tool in the shop. The only downside is that I use it so much that it ends up as a permanent fixture on my bench, which also means I’m constantly knocking it off and banging up this beautiful piece (mine is handled in stabilized American chestnut). I can’t recommend Erik’s saws enough.
For dovetails, this above shown Japanese saw is a dream (affiliate link). Zetsaw has been on the forefront of Japanese saw technology for quite some time and they have a ton of options. Click above to see some of their other offerings as well. Another perk of Japanese saws is the price point of their replacement blades, which are extremely affordable. Instead of having to invest in sharpening files and learning an entirely different sharpening technique (a technique I know nothing about), you can just purchase a replacement blade and call it a day. I’m a fan. Zetsaw is not what I would consider my go to saw in the shop, but I do own some and when the opportunity calls for it, enjoy using it.
Chisels
Chisels are always a hot debate in the community. What’s good? What’s bad? What do you need? Why? Well here’s two brands, one I own and love, but also one I really want.
Veritas PMV-11, also known to me as “Beast Mode”
Spoiler alert: I don’t own PMV-11 chisels. However, I do own a few PMV-11 plane irons and this steel is absolutely phenomenal. Veritas goes through a lot of the benefits of PMV-11 but it’s this perfect sphere of hardness, edge retention, and ability to sharpen. Since I have a set of bench chisels already, my upgrade might be a set of PMV-11 mortise chisels. With that being said, these things are sexy and highly recommended by some of the best hand tool woodworkers I know. You really can’t go wrong. They are not cheap, but certainly worth every penny. Find them here: https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/chisels/bench/69847-veritas-pm-v11-bench-chisels (non-affiliate link).
Now these are in fact my daily use chisels (affiliate link). I have a full set of these, larger than the four piece linked above, and for the price point they can’t be beat. The modern Sweethearts were part of Stanley’s re-release on these and while the steel is softer than the PMV-11 from Veritas, it’s easy to sharpen and still holds one hell of an edge. I absolutely beat the hell out of mine. I also accidentally stripped some of the plating off putting it in a citric acid bath for too long while trying to remove some rust. But let me tell you, they still hold up to all the abuse I put them through. For price and quality, this is really a great offering from Stanley.
Chisel Knockers
Yes, they are called mallets. However, chisel knockers are my preferred colloquialism. Yes, you can make your own joiner’s mallet and you probably should. It’s a rite of passage and you know how much I value those… or you don’t. Whatever. But the weight of a brass mallet feels good in the hand and helps produce quality work. Also, if you’ve got a lathe, a custom handle is a great project (more on that in a second).
Enter DFM Tool Works: JT, who runs DFM Tool Works, makes great American products right out of Chicago, IL. He’s got a lineup that is probably most famous for his card scrapers and squares, but man, he makes one hell of a brass knocker. If you follow me closely on social, you’ll see that my brass chisel knocker is an integral part of my every day use in the shop. I also did a YouTube video on my first lathe project, which was turning a handle for his dodecahedron head. If you’re not into turning, he also offers handled options. Since JT is a small batch producer, these only come in small runs, so be sure to pre-order to get yours reserved for the next offering.
Mallet Head Only: https://dfmtoolworks.com/shop/16oz-hex-brass-hammer-head-plain
Head and Handle: https://dfmtoolworks.com/shop/pre-order-15-oz-brass-head-with-aluminum-handle
(Both links non-affiliate)