Name your three favorite hand tools

[Zahid Naqvi]

Just curious to know what kind of work relies on what kind of tool. Mine would be

1. Block plane (Stanley 60 1/2)
2. Japanese saw (Dozuki)
3. 1/4" and 1" chisels.

I'm just a hobbyist, trying to learn new things with every new project.

[Steve Wargo]

LN Low angle block plane
Old folding boxwood rule with sliding caliper
This awesome little 1/8" astragal into a 1/4" cove molding plane I have.

I imagine that the LN lowangle block will be on a lot of lists, I do also like the rabbeting block plane (thanks Alan).

[Doug Shepard]

1) LN Low angle block plane.
2) 3" Incra T-Rule
3) Thermos Insulated Coffee Cup

[Aaron Kline]

1. Stanley 31
2. Disston Rip (Fullsize)
3. Stanley 78

[Mark Singer]

Hammer, pencil and paper...if it doesn't look good I can beat on it!

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Favorite no coreded tools... Definately Pencil and Paper first, sets the project goal. The last one would be my ruler, gets used everytime I am in the shop.

[Steven Wilson]

Excluding measuring and sharpening tools

1) Lie Nielsen low angle, adjustable mouth, ductile iron, block plane (LN 60 1/2)

2) Stanley Yankee Push Drill

3) Shodo Kote-Nomi chisel (japaneese crank neck paring chisel)

[Don Carkhuff]

1.) Hand scraper
2.) 6 inch rule with hook on the end
3.) Marking knife
4.) 3" combination square

[Jim W. White]

1.) 12" steel rule
2.) 5 1/2 Jack plane
3.) yankee driver

[Zahid Naqvi]

Should have put in 12" combination square at number 3, that dude never leaves my bench.

[Jonathan Szczepanski]

1. Bridge City ryoba saw - It feels and works beautifully
2. Hand scraper - Simple and effective
3. Square drive screwdriver - Why they make any other kind of screw head I will never know

[John Scarpa]

Let me see....

1. The remote
2. Pizza
3. And my favorite wood mag.

:D

Seriously

1. SMC
2. Paper
3. Pencil

[Jim Becker]

LN Low-angle, Adjustable Mouth Bronze Block Plane
Adria Dovetail Saw
Ashley Iles Bench Chisels

[Mike Cutler]

1. Incra 12" marking rule.
2. 6' Starrett ruler.
3. My El Cheapo, Flea Market Special low angle block plane.

[Robby Phelps]

excluding marking and measuring...

#1 Kunz 51A adjustable flat face spokeshave
#2 stanley low angle block plane
#3 Misc. files and rasps

[Don Kugelberg]

1. Stanley #65 LA block plane
2. Starrett 12" Combination Square
3. Lee Valley 3mm Mechanical Pencil

[JayStPeter]

1. Starret combo square
2. LV LA Block
3. Old plane blade that I can't flatten the back of.

I use #3 for tons of stuff, including scraping glue, large chisel, scraper

Jay

[Dennis McDonaugh]

card scraper
Independence dovetail saw
65 low angel block plane

I use them on every project.

[John Weber]

Since we are just talking favorites, all my are planes:

#1 The post war Stanley #3 that belonged to my Grandfather
#2 My first Lie-Nielsen, a Low Angle #62 Jack Plane, gift from my wife and my number one user
#3 My new Lie-Nielsen 4-1/2 York Pitch w/rosewood handles, I just love that plane

I have plenty of stuff I use all the time, squares, block planes, tapes, center finders, punches, sharp pencils, etc... but those listed are my favorites.

John

[Tom LaRussa]

Just curious to know what kind of work relies on what kind of tool. Mine would be


[1] Stanley 60 1/2 LA Block -- it not only works on end grain but it handles birdseye maple with almost no tearout.

[2] My "Marilyn" saw -- cuts like a fine-curf chainsaw.

[3] My two W. Butcher butt-sized chisels -- they cut like scalpels. (Thanks to Steve Wargo for pointing out what gems they are -- I might have sold them off otherwise!)

[Ernie Hobbs]

1. Stanley/Bailey 4 1/2 plane

2. Austrian Draw Knife

3. Nooitgedagt chisels

[Corvin Alstot]

1) LN Low angle block plane.
2) 3" Incra T-Rule
3) Thermos Insulated Coffee Cup
Like the coffee idea. I prefer the porcelain cup and lots of trips to the coffee pot.

1) Porcelain coffee cup
2) Sharp chisel (japanese or old stanley 750, it does not matter)
3) Lots of reference books.

Of course the coffee is much better if my dog is keeping me company.

[Rolf Schmid]

As this is changing continoulsy...
at the moment:
My jointer plane with the 60° angle, it planes the birch without tearout

http://www.hobel-und-eisen.de/holz/HObel/Holzrauhbank/P1010743.JPG

the veritas scraper plane, it can deal with the "nasty" spots in the birch..

http://www.hobel-und-eisen.de/Sammlung/P8020547.jpg

my japanese chisels (HSS). they become very sharp and do not chip...

regards
Rolf

[Zahid Naqvi]

I see an overwhelming preference for a low angle block plane. Which says something about the diverse applications it has.

[Derek Cohen]

I see no one has included Bandaids in their list! Well, I not sure if I should call them "favourite" or not, but they get used frequently!! Either your blades are not sharp enough, or you are not using your tools.

With regard to more traditional items, yes block planes are nice to use (like chisels, they get you closer to the wood - and in my case, sometimes too close to the edge!). I like my Stanley #65 with Hock blade, although it is being run a close second by a Stanley #18 with 35-degreed blade (producing a high angle plane) which functions like a mini-smoother on gnarly grain.

I would not want to go without my LV LA smoother with blade ground to cut at 64 degrees (work in Australian hardwood), nor would I swap my HNT Gordon Try Plane for anything.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Tom Scott]

1. Independence dovetail saw
2. L-N #4 1/2 York pitch

I love when I get to use these tools.

3. Marking knife (no project gets done without this one)

Derek,
No bandaids...a nice clean cut from a super sharp blade gets superglued.

Tom

[Tom LaRussa]

No bandaids...a nice clean cut from a super sharp blade gets superglued.

Superglue?

YUCK!

This is the hand tool forum you know -- please take that high tech stuff elsewhere.

Around here we use only hide glue on our boo-boos. :eek: :p :D

[Alan Turner]

Ln 60 1/2
Boggs radius'ed sole spokeshave
3/8" T.H. Witherby paring chisel
4" Starrett double square
Can't count so well, I guess.
Alan

[Tony Zaffuto]

old Stanley 60-1/2
Starret 2" square
Lufkin 6' folding "inside reading" rule
Stanley 12 oz. Warrington hammer

and I can't count either, and like most of you, the list is always changing!

[Ken Salisbury]

I don't know if you can call these my 3 favorites, but they are the 3 most used handtools I have :D

[Mike Holbrook]

Ken you are bad! Besides you left out the popcorn, preferably Black Jewel. I think you should loose the cork screw and add the popcorn. Wine takes up to much time that could be used woodworking.

Ok I am just getting started but so far:
1) LV, LA Block Plane & Jack Plane- two blades for easch, one for soft one for hard
2) Silky Woodboy saws- Dozuki, 27 tpi for dovetails, 15 tpi prototype for other stuff
3) Kumagoro Japanese chisels

thats 3 right :)
I left off the marking & measuring devices as I would not know where to start or end.

[Steve Kubien]

This is pretty easy for me...

#1, Knight coffin smoother
#2, 8tpi Atkins crosscut saw, sharpened last by Tom Law
#3, 4" engineers square (handy, handy, handy!)

I doubt a LA block will ever make my 'favourite' list. Useful? Yup. Does it work? Yup. Still, I can't stand using the things.

Steve Kubien
Ajax, Ontario

[Jerry Palmer]

1. My new Veritas Large Shoulder Plane (mostly cause I just got it)

2. My Norsewoodsmith DT Saw (Ask me about this one:D )

3. My Stanley #4 Smoother (I hate sanding)