Hand Tools

by John Reed Fox

There is a reason why Japanese hand tools have such a great reputation—solid craftsmanship. And when it comes to chisels, John Reed Fox says, Japanese varieties ...

by John Reed Fox

If you're buying a Japanese chisel for the first time, you need to know that it will require some setup before you can use it. For these tools come in what Westerners ...

by Chris Gochnour

by Allan Breed

A rose carved with 15 cuts is better than one carved with 45. That's what Allan Breed learned from his first carving teacher. And when he bought that teacher's ...

by Garrett Hack

by Matt Kenney

You don't need power tools when you need to create a lot of grooves of the same width and distance from the edge, such as when making boxes or drawers. All you ...

by Chris Gochnour

Sometimes, even the most meticulously tuned handplane can't handle wood with challenging grain, and your are left with torn-out surfaces. That's when you should ...

by Roland Johnson

A common misconception among many new woodworkers is that you need an expensive plane to experience the joy of handplaning—the whisper-thin shavings, the tool gliding ...

by Steve Latta

The bench vise is one of woodworking’s most necessary and fundamental tools, vital for holding work while you saw, chop, pare, plane, scrape, and perform any number ...

by Chris Gochnour

by Dan Faia

Learn how to carve this most important hand tool used in carving for undercutting or cleaning out corners

by Dan Faia

Learn how to sharpen this complex carving tool with a grinder and stones

with Bob Van Dyke

Learn an old machinist's secret to verify the accuracy of your work.

by Chris Gochnour

This companion piece to Plane Like a Pro   gives the basics of handplaning a surface so that it is flat, straight, and smooth. Handplane users who have struggled ...

with Chris Gochnour

Learn how adding camber on a plane blade can prevent unsightly ripples in a workpiece