I'm not much of an axe wielder, but this has been the greatest for chipping away at small stumps in my yard. It's super sharp, and the wooden handle feels really great in my hand. I imagine it'd be fantastic for splitting small stuff for my Solo Stove, too.

This saw went to camp with me this summer and was used to rip a long sheet of lauan and trim 4x4 pressure-treated deck posts. Cutting that paneling wasn't an easy feat, but the saw and I trudged through it. I love that it folds and is a manageable size for my traveling toolbox.

I'm not much of a gardener, but I seem to grow weeds very well. Despite the hot, dry summer, my brick walkway was recently taken over by crabgrass. I spent an hour or so this weekend slicing away, and things are looking spiffy again. I've had my weeder for four or five years now, and it's held up well. I like the simplicity of the tool and how easy it is to use.

I love the Wood Is Good Mallet because it's the perfect utilitarian tool. It does exactly what you need it to do: be a blunt object to propel your chisel through wood. It lasts forever, it has a comfortable handle–plus, it's a cool shade of green. What's not to love?

I love this saw because it does two crucial woodworking cuts in one tool—rip-cuts and cross-cuts. Less time hunting through my tool bag, more time actually building.

You can do almost anything with this tool. We use it to draw all of our joinery tight on the job site, but we've also used it to move SIP sheds and large trees from the pond at Shelter. It's a great all-in-one “move anything” tool.

I have been sharpening on the Tormek since 2000 and no motorized sharpening system provides the fit, finish and results of the Tormek sharpening system. With the available jigs you can quickly and effortlessly sharpen your chisels, slicks, plane irons (hand and power), axes, scissors, turning tools, drill bits, large and small knives to name a few. When you own this tool, all of the cutting devices in your life will be sharper, safer and more pleasant to use! I love that the water cooled grinding wheel spins at just 90 rpm, is quiet and does not create any dust. The transition from the grinding wheel to the leather strop is seamless and cuts the typical three step process (grind, hone, polish) to just two steps which saves me a lot of time.

Any item that helps me get organized while also protecting my tool investments is a bonus. I've owned this hand saw bag since 2009 and it is still holding and protecting my saws. It comfortably holds four large saws (up to 2*' long) and a couple of smaller saws (like the Z-saw folding japanese saws) in exterior pockets. I like being able to grab the bag out of my tool kit and head to the work knowing that whatever needs to be cut, I'll be ready. The dividers inside the bag keep the saws safe from each other while riding around from site to site. Also, it's red.

While some might find it difficult to get excited about a nail set, this little tool is unlike any nail set you have ever used. A western style nail set gives you one option: it's long, tapered shape with one end that sits on the nail head and one end that is struck by your hammer. The Japanese nail set gives you several options. It can be used lengthwise for reaching into tight spaces to set nails but can also be used in a 'transverse' fashion so the nail set is short in the direction of striking but long in terms of the handle you hold so your hand is well out of the way. I use it most frequently in this orientation, particularly for setting large nails (16 or 20 penny) while installing 2x6 or 2x8 tongue and groove decking on our imber frames. Having the short axis parallel to the direction of countersinking is much more stable than a western style nail set which allows for aggressive hitting on those larger nails. Using it in this orientation is also very handy for dimpling a stud or joist when toe-nailing to make starting the nail much easier. Lastly, because the tool is T-shaped, it does not disappear into the depths of the pencil holder in your tool belt, only to be retrievable with needle nosed pliers. IYKYK.

This is one of my most favorite items whether you are building new or renovating; building a dollhouse or removing trim that you want to preserve. The catspaw tooth allows you to slide under the head of a nail and the wedge shape grips the body of the nail to remove it with minimal damage to your piece of wood. It is such a great item to have on hand that mine is often borrowed and so I keep a couple on reserve just to be sure I am never without one. It is small but mighty.

The Rust Eraser is one of those items that has endless uses. This brick of rubber is impregnated with abrasives perfect for removing tarnish or rust from nearly any metal surface. I have used it on my stainless steel refrigerator to remove a spot as well as chisels that spent a month in my humid basement. I generally use it with a couple of shots of camilia oil to lubricate the steel. It is a magic little rust eraser.

When I was a little girl, my parents took our family on endless adventures hiking through the White Mountains of New England and my mom always carried her purple jansport backpack with apples and cheese and a number 08 Opinel pocket knife. The simplicity of the design and high carbon steel (or stainless steel) blades make for a timeless and endlessly useful knife. I reach for it when making a picnic lunch, whittling s'mores sticks as well as the less exciting process of removing packaging and opening boxes. I especially like this size opinel because the stainless steel collar is a locking mechanism which keeps the blade open or closed as needed.

I have a 2-in and 1-1/2-in Japanese chisel that my dear wife, Patsy, brought back from Japan 40 years ago. After hundreds of timber frames and thousands of mallet blows, these two trusty tools work as new.

The balance is a joy to handle, and its length reaches the deepest mortise—very satisfying tools.

This astounding tool can make anyone feel superhuman. Its unique shape makes it far more than a crowbar, and its length and superior steel will pry or lever any situation. From coaxing a timber frame together to forcing a truck tire apart, I find endless uses for the Rocker Bar. 

I have used it to dismantle buildings, even prying out lag bolts, not to mention nails and screws. I have used it to lift objects 10 times the weight I can lift on my own. It is one of the few tools I carry with me to every site. And, when I get old, I’ll use it as a cane.

In the spring of 1963, newly graduated from high school, I shipped out to Idaho by Greyhound bus to cut timber in the Targee National Forest to earn college tuition. The job involved being dropped in the forest with fuel, oil, food, a Homelite chainsaw, fifty feet of chain, and a File & Joint Chainsaw Sharpener. 

This sharpening guide became my lifesaving daily routine. Clamping on the bar, setting the angle and depth to file, four strokes each tooth, and magic the next day as the Homelite XP1000 sliced and diced 300 trees!

I still have and use the same sharpener today, and I am pleased that the new ones are exactly the same today, keeping all teeth identical for smooth, even cutting.

Everyone loves the Wood is Good Mallet around here, and Gabe is no different. Hit things with it. Chisels, preferably.

The timber framing shop foreman loves a chisel. The Barr 1.5-in chisel, to be exact. When asked why, he said, “It doesn’t have a single problem.” So, there you go.

We don’t sell them, but Gabe likes them, and we like Gabe.

This saw is perfect for general carpentry and light timber framing. It is super sharp out of the box and tends to stay sharp longer than any other hand saw I've used. I use it for just about everything on the job site, including notching decking boards, cutting spline, trimming oak wedges, and flush cutting pegs.

This tool is great for pulling stubborn joints together and holding them there until the fasteners are in place. Whether we are pulling joists tight to a tie beam or seating a SIP wall panel on a shoe, the Geko is a formidable tool.

I primarily use a 35-ft FatMax tape on the job site, but keep a backup 40-ft for longer layouts. The tape is easy to read and has an impressive 11-ft standout for those hard-to-reach spots.