Hand Tools
After building stuff for years and years, tools tend to accumulate.  The tools and products found here are those that I use and recommend - surely, I've got a few that will never make it here ;)...  Almost always, extensive research has occurred before a purchase.  

It's nice to have the right tool on hand when you need it.  Anticipating the need for a tool before it's actually required is somewhat of an art - with experience, you tend to get better and better at it, and with enough anticipation, you have more time to shop for quality and value.

I've split the tools here into 4 categories as noted on the buttons up above and toward the bottom of these pages.  Sometimes, a tool falls into more than one category.  For instance, routers are handheld power tools, but are in the benchtop category because I typically have them mounted in larger machines - in these cases, I didn't bother to put them into multiple categories.

Each picture here is a link to an Amazon.com detail page for that particular tool.  I hope you enjoy checking these tools out.
Hand planes
Not a Lie Nielsens, but similar.  A block plane, jack plane, No. 4, and No. 7 are great to have.  No. 7 is optional - it's a beast!
Two Cherry chisel set
Back in the '90's, my dad gave me a set of Two Cherry chisels as a birthday present. These tools are used constantly. I have kept the 25 degree factory bevel and started sharpening a 30 degree micro bevel on them a few years ago. Now, that micro bevel is getting fairly large. These chisels sharpen fast which is a good thing, because they require it fairly often.
Norton 220/1000 waterstone
Lie Nielsen has a great series on sharpening plane and chisel blades on youtube.  Google "Lie Nielsen Deneb Puchalski" for some tips.  These stones are similar to the ones he uses.

I use combination stones as they take up less room and aren't as expensive as one grit stones.

The 220 side of this stone is only used if there is a big nick in a blade.  This stone isn't used too ofen, but if a blade does become damaged, these grits are useful to repair them as they speed the process up considerably.
Norton 4000/8000 waterstone
Using dull blades brings an appreciation to the value of  finely tuned hand planes and/or chisels.  Building nicer furniture requires sharp blades on these tools.

This is another combination stone - with 4000 and 8000 grit sides.  For general honing, this stone is usually the only one I use.

To keep my stones flat, which is critical, a DMT DIA-FLAT lapping plate comes in handy.

A useful inexpensive accessory is a honing guide.
Diamond Shapening stones
My son gave me these for Christmas in 2020.  The waterstones work great, but they are a bit messy and require flattening once in a while.  With these, just a spritz of window cleaner or maybe a bit of alcohol/water solution and you're off sharpening.  And, these are 8"x3" - just the right size for chisels, plane irons, knives, etc.  High quality too.
Bessey 6" Tradesmen bar clamps
You can never have enough clamps and these are the best 6" bar clamps that I found yet. Bessey makes a couple different styles of bar clamps. Make sure you get the "Tradesmen" model - and getting more of these is never a bad thing...

Bessey tradesmen clamps come in light, regular, and heavy duty ratings.  I prefer the regular and heavy duty clamps.  But, I think some of the smaller ones, such as the 4" are light duty - those have smaller screws, handles, bars, and arms.
Bessey starter clamp kit
This is a pretty neat little starter kit.  I would have gotten this one back in the day - still, I might pick one of these up as it seems like a decent value.
Bessey Tradesmen clamp set
...this might be the best way to go.  At first appearance, it looks expensive, but for 30 high quality clamps it's a good deal - and those long ones can get pricey.  This set has:
- Eight 24" Clamps.
- Four each 6",18", 30", 36" 
The only thing missing are some big 48ers", of which pipe clamps work great...
Bessey 50" parallel clamps
A pair of these is a pretty awesome thing to have.  For edge clamping big panels, more would even be better.  The 50" clamps are big and heavy.  Unlike the Pony pipe clamps, these jaws stay parallel while applying clamping pressures.  The clamping mechanism sometimes can be a bit finicky.  As long as the screw is fully extended before clamping, it's usually not a problem.  Then, when you tighten down on the handle, a little downward pressure helps ensure the threads properly engage.
Pony 1/2" pipe clamps
I was told the 1/2" pipe clamps aren't very good, you need 3/4" pipe clamps - by quite a few people too. Regardless, many, many years ago, I got these 1/2" Pony pipe clamps and use them constantly. They are just lighter and more convenient than the 3/4" pipe clamps and provide plenty of clamping pressure for most projects that require this type of clamp.  I have them on 36" pipes.  But, for longer clamps, the 3/4" ones are probably better.  You'll have to supply your own pipe and one end needs to be threaded.
Pony 3/4" pipe clamps
There are a couple sets of these in my shop. They just don't get used as often as the 1/2" clamps.  Please note the pipe is not included.  A nice thing about these compared to the 1/2" clamps is the base is a little bigger, allowing them to stand up on a bench top a little better.
Jorgensen size 4 hand screw
Early in my woodworking career, I succumbed to buying a couple cheaply made hand screws. Remembering using nice Jorgensen's in high school shop class, I was never satisfied with the cheapos. I finally broke down and bought 2 of these, a number 3 and 4. Ah... Finally my shop had some hand screw that work smoothly, positively, and look good to boot. Quality materials and workmanship make all the difference in this design. Don't waste your time and money on cheap imitations - just get the real deal and be done with it.
The size 4 has a 16" screw and 12" max opening.
Jorgensen size 3 hand screw
The slightly smaller version of the Jorgensen hand screw - 14" screw with a 10" max opening
Stainless steel rulers
I don't have these yet, but will soon.  There are some important elements for decent rulers.  Besides accuracy, they need these attributes:
  • Easy to read.
  • Holes in them so I can hang them on a nail.
  • Zero has to be on the left edge.  Some rules have some extra length on that edge which makes it so you can't get a reading by holding the left edge against a piece.
Some of my rulers are getting worn out, so these will be my next ones.
Stanley carpenter's square
I have a steel as well as aluminum carpenters square and use the aluminum almost exclusively. It is getting a bit worn, so might be replaced soon. My preference is due to weight and ease of use.  The steel square also has a clear coat that tends to chip and the thing will eventually rust were I to use it outside building a house or something...  It just seems a little easier to use and line up the aluminum square.
Empire speed square
Talk about a worn tool. This has been with me what seems like forever. I just don't see the need for anything else - it's used constantly - really need to replace it as it is getting shopworn.
For general shop use, I find the 16' Stanley Fatmax a little more convenient than a longer 25' tape. The nice thing about the Fatmax tapes is they can extend further without drooping or bending than standard tapes - which means they are a time and irritation saver.
The 25' version of the Fatmax tape. Handier for some house work than the 16' version.
What's a coffee mug doing here?  Because it's an essential shop accessory.  This particular mug has been my best one so far, and believe me, I've had plenty.  It's a 16 oz. stainless steel mug - which is pretty standard.  Two key features make this one a step above.  One, it has a lever on the lid to open and close.  When it's closed, you can toss it around and nothing comes out.  Two, it keeps liquids hot for hours.  In the shop, that's a wonderful thing because during a project, your coffee might get ignored for hours, but when you pick it up and take a sip, walla - it's still hot.
Hand saws
Dozuki Saws cut on the pull stroke.  With a very thin blade and offset, they make a small kerf - ideal for tight fitting, precision joinery. The Amazon links provide various options on purchasing some of these great saws.  I have a few of them.
Shigshop.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.