- A claw hammer will allow

you to drive nails with one

end and remove them with
the other. Look for one
that has a comfortable but
secure grip and is not too
heavy to hold and swing.
- A metal measuring tape,
preferably a retractable
model that’s good for
measuring larger pieces of
uncut lumber.
- Measuring squares allow
you to identify, measure,
and mark right angles
during your projects.
- Chisels were once the
primary tool for carving
out joints in Japanese
carpentry. Often sold in
sets, you’ll need a variety
of chisels to perform any
meaningful or detailed
work.

- A wooden mallet is
complementary to a chisel
set, allowing you to
precisely drive the sharp
heads into your
workpiece.
- handsaws are used to rip
and crosscut boards to
size. Look for blades that
are taper ground, allowing
better clearance around the
teeth and a smoother, more
efficient cutting motion.
- backsaws are the detail-
oriented companion to the
handsaw. Supported by a
heavy strip of brass or
steel over the top of the
blade, they excel at detail
work and can be used to
 cut mortise and tenon or
dovetail joints.
- Bow Saws, scroll
saws, coping saws, and
compass saws all fall into
this category, often
reserved for decorative
work. Until you have a
project that calls for
curved cuts, you won’t
need any of these saws.
- planes are a complex and
multi-part hand carpentry
tool with something of a
cult following in the
classical carpentry
community. A good bench
plane will get you through
90% of projects, while
rabbet and block planes
are reserved for more
specialized angled work.
- Keeping your chisels,
gouges, and planes sharp
is essential to their safe
and appropriate
functioning. Oil Stones are
the most popular choice in
the United States, while a
two-part water stone is
more common for
Japanese hand tools.