The holidays are a time when peace is the goal and the cold weather brings quiet to our neighborhoods. So let's help keep it quiet in the shop as well, by going unplugged for the holidays! Hand woodworking is enjoying a resurgence, whether from nostalgia, or because hand woodworking helps you be a better woodworker by putting you closer to your medium! Here are our recommendations for the unplugged woodworker.
Clifton Adjustable-Mouth, Low-Angle Block Plane
The Clifton Low-Angle, Adjustable-Mouth Block Plane looks like a boutique tool. Don't be deceived by its elegant appearance, however, it is as functional as it is pleasing to the eye. Clifton Planes are made in Sheffield, England by the last remaining traditional hand tool manufacturer in the U.K. Their hand planes are superb modern examples of old-world craftsmanship and this block plane is our favorite piece of the Clifton line. Made from bronze, this block plane aims to offer the ultimate in comfort and style. Fitting your hand perfectly with its high-quality Walnut handle, this block plane will allow you to easily shave your project's surface. This is a plane you will be proud to own and will serve you for a lifetime.
Narex Wood Line Imperial Bench Chisels
A chisel should do two things: cut wood cleanly and hold an edge for as long as possible. The Narex Premium line of bench chisels does both at a cost that is incredibly down to earth. Forged from Rc59 manganese steel in the Czech Republic, these hornbeam handled western bench chisels move effortlessly through end grain and pairing work with little honing necessary out of the box, and hold an edge throughout the workday. Dovetails turn out sharp and true thanks to a long 10 3/8" overall length with a 4" blade resulting in an exceedingly stable cutting instrument. Brass plated ferrule construction give them a traditional look and stay locked solid.
Named a Fine Woodworking Magazine 'Best Value' product in a head-to-head test of 23 brand name chisels, the Narex name stands strong against the competition.
Narex Premium Mallets
As good as any chisel is, a mallet will improve your accuracy and effeciency, so we offer a couple of versions that should be on any unplugged bench.
A good mallet should feel light in the hand, but at the same time its striking surface must be dense enough to impart the full force of each blow from the face of the mallet through the handle of the chisel and into the cutting edge of the blade. We offer two sizes of the Narex brand wooden carving mallets, for multiple types of work. Crafted in the traditional turned style from solid beech wood. Light and solid, these mallets will keep you carving for years to come.
Or, having a heavy metal head concentrated into a small striking area allows the mallet to impact the chisel without any bounce back. The application of this simple physics principle allows the carver to work without the need for inefficient and tiring arm swings, so you're able to keep your focus by using shorter controlled strikes over the course of your project. A Narex Brass Carving Mallet is the best choice for carvers who demand precision from their instruments throughout the workday.
Japanese Sharpening Stones
When not banging on your cutting tools with a mallet, it's a good idea to take a few moments to keep your chisels and plane blade's sharp.
Cerax Stones, manufactured by Suehiro in Japan, have a reputation for performing as well or better than much higher priced stones. Although these stones are water stones and require soaking, they are not particularly “thirsty”—the manufacturer recommends only a few minutes of soaking before use. Japanese synthetic water stones are very good stones for beginning sharpeners, as they give very good “feedback” and tend to sharpen much more quickly than oil stones and other types of synthetic stones. Each of the Cerax Stones comes mounted to a stand with skid resistant rubber feet, so no stone holder is necessary. The included Nagura stone can be used to dress the surface of the stone and helps create a slurry by revealing new grit and bringing the water out of the stone prior to sharpening.
Hand Saws
Sometimes cutting in wisps just isn't enough and you need a hand saw. We offer both Western-style push bench saws and Japanese pull saws. You may have a preference, or find the benefits of both. Regardless a hand saw belongs on your unplugged bench.
Founded in the 18th Century, Pax brand hand saws are some of the most storied in production and today are manufactured by Thomas Flinn & Co Ltd, in Sheffield, England. Sheffield is world renowned for the quality of its steel and hand tools there are made with the skills passed down by generations of talented saw makers. We offer three sizes, and a money-saving set of three.
Japanese pull saw teeth are angled to cut on the pull stroke, a natural motion requiring little effort. Because pulling a saw places the blade in tension, it prevents the blade from bowing, buckling, or binding. The pulling motion allows the use of a very thin blade. The advantages are a very narrow kerf, exceptionally fast and smooth cuts, and unparalleled accuracy. Again, we offer three individual sizes, or a money-saving set of three.
Marking Gauge and Knife
We're going to call this a two-fer as these two hand tools work so well together. At the bottom of the image is a wheel marking gauge. The marking gauge includes cutters to lay out both sides of a mortise in one pass. Or set it with a single end cutter to transfer and mark a half-lap joint.
Of course, it’s also the perfect tool for marking out tenons!
The other item in our duo is our Precision Marking Knife. This marking knife has a comfortable 5" long hardwood handle for all-day use. Made for either left or right-hand use, marking knives are great for layout work in your shop because they're many times more accurate than thicker pencil lines. But the advantage of scribing doesn't end there; a scribed line pre-scores your wood, making final cuts with your hand or power tools more crisp and clean by eliminating unsightly tearout.
Premium Hand-Stitched Rasps
Lastly, but very important, is smoothing things out after cutting. Hand stitched rasps produce a slightly irregular tooth pattern that cuts faster and leaves a smoother surface than an equivalent machine cut rasp, making them highly sought after by professional furniture and instrument makers. The Narex Cabinet Rasps feature hand stitched teeth with three levels of coarseness; coarse, medium and fine as measured in tooth count per square centimeter. Each rasp measures roughly 16” overall including the hornbeam wood handle. The 1” x 10” body cuts on both the flat and convex faces allowing flat, concave, and convex surfaces to be shaped.
This is just a portion of the items we offer for the unplugged woodworker, we hope you'll find something for yourself, or the woodworker in your life.
