Hand Tool Maker List

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Dave Schwarzkopf

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Joined
Dec 23, 2011
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46
Not sure if this has been done before, but I wish I had a list of this sort when I first started down the slippery slope.  Here's my list of hand tool makers whom I am either a repeat offender, I just find them interesting, or I dream of owning their tools one day. My intent is to introduce ya'll to some manufacturers with which you may not be familiar.  It is by no means an all-inclusive list, and I think it aims for the middle to upper end of the craft.  I've left a few names out on purpose, and I haven't listed any of the Japanese or other tool makers because, to be honest, I'm quite ignorant on them and there are other much better resources for that info.

Handsaws:

Lee Valley/Veritas - http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?cat=1&p=42884

Lie Nielsen -  http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?cat=507

Bad Axe - http://www.badaxetoolworks.com/

Bridge City (Japanese style pull saws) - http://www.bridgecitytools.com/

Medallion -  http://www.medalliontools.com/default.html

Two Lawyers - http://two-lawyers-toolworks.blogspot.com/p/home.html

Adria - http://www.adriatools.com/

Wenzloff - http://www.wenzloffandsons.com/index.php

Woodjoy  (Bowsaws) - http://www.woodjoytools.com/

Knew Concepts (Titanium and aluminum fretsaws) - http://www.knewconcepts.com/

Eccentric Toolworks (no longer making saws) - http://eccentrictoolworks.com/

Gramercy - http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/

ECE (framesaws) - http://www.ecemmerich.com/fertigungsprogramm.html

Handplanes:

Holtey - http://www.holteyplanes.com/

Lee Valley/Veritas -  http://www.leevalley.com/US/home.aspx

Lie Nielsen - http://www.lie-nielsen.com/

Marcou - http://www.marcouplanes.com/

Old Street (previously Clark & Williams) - http://www.planemaker.com/

Bridge City Toolworks - http://www.bridgecitytools.com/

HNT Gordon - http://www.hntgordon.com.au/

Bill Carter - http://www.billcarterwoodworkingplanemaker.co.uk/

Philly Planes - http://www.phillyplanes.co.uk/

Brese - http://www.breseplane.com/

Anderson - http://www.andersonplanes.com/

Bickford (molding planes) - http://www.msbickford.com/

Sauer and Steiner - http://www.sauerandsteiner.com/news/

Daed Toolworks - http://www.daedtoolworks.com/

Time Warp - http://timewarptoolworks.com/

Kell - http://www.richardkell.co.uk/luthiersPlane.html

ECE - http://www.ecemmerich.com/fertigungsprogramm.html

Ulmia - http://www.ulmia.de/English/Ulmia-Uebersicht.htm

Clifton (sold by a few retailers, couldn't find their webpage)

Ray Iles - (Couldn't find their website, but they do have an infill available from a few retailers)

DL Barrett & Sons - http://www.dlbarrettandsons.com/Planes.html

Gerd Fritsche - http://www.traditional-handplanes.com/

Heinz - http://heinztools.com/index.html

Ron Hock (plane blades, kits, marking knives) - http://www.hocktools.com/

Chisels, Carving Knives, Drawknives, Adzes, etc:

Lee Valley - http://www.leevalley.com/us/?c=2

Lie Nielsen - http://www.lie-nielsen.com/

Blue Spruce - http://www.bluesprucetoolworks.com/

Cariboo Blades - http://www.caribooblades.com/hookknives.html

Barr - http://www.barrtools.com/

Karlsson - http://www.klensmide.se/

North Bay Forge - http://www.northbayforge.com/

Harold and Saxon - http://www.haroldandsaxon.com/

Ray Iles - (Can't find official website, pigsticker mortise chisels are available from several retailers)

Ashley Iles - http://www.ashleyiles.turningtools.co.uk/

Svante Djarv - http://www.djarv.se/djarvenglish/startsida.asp

Stubai - http://www.stubai.com/index_englisch.htm

Roush - http://www.elmerroush.com/index.html

Cape Forge - http://www.capeforge.com/

Workbench Hardware:

Lee Valley/Veritas and Lie Nielsen, (websites listed above)

Benchcrafted - http://benchcrafted.com/Store.html

Galena Village (holdfasts) - http://www.galenavillageblacksmith.com/

Noden - http://www.adjustabench.com/about.asp

Lake Erie Tools - http://www.lakeerietoolworks.com/

Hovartar - http://www.hovartercustomvise.com/

Evenfall Studios - http://www.evenfallstudios.com/

Big Wood Vise - http://www.bigwoodvise.com/

Tico Vogt - http://www.ticovogt.com/?page_id=650

Gramercy - http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/

Peter Ross - http://peterrossblacksmith.com/

Elmer Roush - http://www.elmerroush.com/index.html

Marking Gauges/Layout Tools:

Vesper - http://www.vespertools.com.au/

Colen Clenton - (available from several retailers)

Hamilton -  http://www.hamiltontools.com/

Glen Drake (also makes hammers and funky dovetail saws) - http://www.glen-drake.com/

Chester  Toolworks - http://www.chestertoolworks.com/

Woodpeck - http://www.woodpeck.com/

Czeck Edge - http://www.czeckedge.com/

Spokeshaves, Chairmaking tools & Travishers:

Lee Valley/Veritas, Lie Nielsen (websites listed above)

Dave's Shaves - http://www.ncworkshops.com/index.html

Windsor Workshop - http://thewindsorworkshop.co.uk/

Russ Filbeck - http://www.russfilbeck.net/pricelist.html

Elia Bizzarri - http://www.handtoolwoodworking.com/tools.html

Woodjoy - http://www.woodjoytools.com/

Ashem - http://www.ashemcrafts.com/

Clifton

Rasps:

Auriou - http://www.forge-de-saint-juery.com/

Iwasaki - (Can't find their website, but their offerings are machine made, affordable, and rate very well.  Available from quite a few retailers)

Gramercy - http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com//Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=toolshop&Category_Code=TRR

Liogier - http://www.liogier-france.fr/?lang=en

Nicholson (#49 and 50 are machine cut; it appears that recent offerings haven't been up to their usual high standard though)

Screwdrivers:

Elkhead - http://www.elkheadtools.com/home.html

Drill Bits
Clico/Clifton (if you're a bit brace kind've fella)

Colt 5 Star (can't find their website, but available at several retailers)

Famag - http://www.famag.com/en/products/default.aspx

Axes
Gransfors Bruks - http://www.gransfors.com/htm_eng/index.html

Sorry if some of the sections overlap; some makers have more than one specialty.  Hope you find the list useful.
 
Heiko,

Good call on the Ulmia and ECE; I also added Clifton as they slipped my mind.  

There's a few others listed I haven't heard good feedback about or found something I thought was a significant step above, (Karlsson vs. Kirch/Two Cherries), so I didn't want to put my name by them.  Kunz in particular seems to offer great economy, but at the cost of requiring a significant amount of user fettling to make them usable; do you have a different opinion of them?

I can't get past the main page on the Quiansheng link...what's your experience with them?

Dave
 
The one Kunz tool I had was a spokeshave which was utterly unusable.

I didn't spot Blue Spruce the first time round...sorry.

Rob Cosman has some good stuff for sale, some of it is under his name.

What about a sharpening category? Norton, Shapton, Lee Valley, DMT etc.

 
Richard,

That's a good idea on the sharpening and will take a bit of research on my part; there's so many different jigs/methods, I'd prefer to narrow it down a bit (diamond, oilstone, waterstone, scarysharp, films, etc).

I'm also thinking of adding a short rasp category.

Dave
 
Gee thanks - this is going to help my bank balance no end  [eek]

Mods, could we have this thread pinned please  [smile]
 
Yeah, sorry about that Kev.  It probably won't help out the wait-list for some of them either, but figured this might show off a few makers that don't get a lot of publicity.  I don't know about other folks, but when I'm working w/ exceptionally crafted hand tools, I'm challenged/inspired to do better work.  It's like the plane is saying, "don't embarass me, boy".

Dave
 
Hi,
Dave Schwarzkopf said:
There's a few others listed I haven't heard good feedback about or found something I thought was a significant step above, (Karlsson vs. Kirch/Two Cherries), so I didn't want to put my name by them.  
Click to expand...
In my opinion the chisels from Narex does a good job for the money. Not highend tools but very good machined. I've buyed a set of them without polish. The MHG Chisels are also  good tools with less emotional features as much more expensive tools, but they works very well.
Dave Schwarzkopf said:
Kunz in particular seems to offer great economy, but at the cost of requiring a significant amount of user fettling to make them usable; do you have a different opinion of them?
Click to expand...
I've linked explicit the Kunz Plus series. The rest of their products is not so convincingly.
The Kunz Website is not very good. You can see pictures of the Kunz Plus No.5 at my Website.
http://heiko-rech.de/werkstatt/kunz4.php
Dave Schwarzkopf said:
I can't get past the main page on the Quiansheng link...what's your experience with them?
Click to expand...
it seems the Website doesn't work. The planes that i've buyed under the name "JUUMA" you can see at this site:
http://www.feinewerkzeuge.de/juuma-hobel.html

And at my site:
http://heiko-rech.de/werkstatt/juuma.php

Heiko
 
Rick,

Thank you.  I added a few extras and removed 1 as I actually got an email/rant from the guy explaining how he thought my 'not my cup of tea' comment was a personal attack on him.  I posted this list on a few other forums and that's where he read it.  Anyway, I'm just deleting that entry altogether; after that exchange I don't feel good about posting his company next to my name.

Dave
 
I have had some good dealings with Blum Tool Company @ blumtoolco@walnut.net  A small family business company based in Walnut, Iowa.
He makes hand planes and a sharpening system.  I have his sharpening system and find it to very accurate for sharpening plane irons and chisels to a razor sharpe edge very quickly.  With his system, the blade is clamped at desired angle against the top of a sharpening box and the stone is rubbed across (over the top of) the blade edge.  In this way, the slurry from sharpening does not clog up the stone leaving the stone clean in comparrison to other methods. I have not figured how to use the box for sharpening skewed edge blades.  But I find other systems present problems with sharpening those blades also.

His wood body planes are a very interesting and unique design.  I have not invested in any of them yet. I am interested
Tinker
 
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