List of notable woodworkers who use only hand tools

[tibi]

Hello,

Can you please help me create a list of notable woodworkers who use only hand tools for their work? I would like to get to know new names for inspiration.
By hand tools only I mean people who besides joinery also dimension their wood by hand (saw and plane).

I already know:
- Tom Fidgen
- Shannon Rogers
- La Cabra en La Escalera

Thank you very much.

 

[Doug B]

Try Instagram, search hashtags like #handtoolsonly #handtoolworkshop etc there are an awful lot of renowned hand tool woodworkers on there.

 

[tibi]

Try Instagram, search hashtags like #handtoolsonly #handtoolworkshop etc there are an awful lot of renowned hand tool woodworkers on there.

Thank you Doug, I have tried that on youtube in the past but I have found only a handful of them. I will definitely try instagram as well

 

[Mead Camans]

Thomas Chippendale

 

[loftyhermes]

Peter Follansbee.

 

[tibi]

Thomas Chippendale

He is Rob Cosman of the 18th century, right? I might read his books to learn more about the period techniques, but personally, I would not like to replicate his furniture for my own house, as my main woodworking goal is to replace every MDF board piece of furniture in my house with mine hand made solid wood furniture.

 

[paulrbarnard]

How far back in the process does it have to be hand tools? Axe felling the tree, saw pit...?
I ask because there are a lot of hand tool guys, like Garret Hack for example, who finish with hand tools but very much use machinery as well.

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

The recent edition of Fine Woodworking magazine honoured the writings, teaching and furniture of Phil Lowe. He was an extraordinary woodworker. At one time he ran the woodworking school at the North Bennet Street, and their catch phrase was "Using hand tools in concert with machinery".

That is my preferred approach as well. While I pride myself on using hand tools, I do not see anything special about building everything that way. Power tools and machines are important, and balancing their use is sensible.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Droogs]

Well said Derek. In these days, unless you are either a dabbler, masochist or a prepper getting ready for SHTF then it makes sense to be a hybrid woodworker. Use the advantage of technology to do the grunt work and then finesse by hand. Even the most famous "handtool woodworkers" of the last century and a half, who shun modern tech use powered tools. Most Shaker (Amish) woodworking companies use diesel generators to power converted steam belt driven machinery to produce enough volume of stock and where they need to use more modern kit they pay a mensch to operate them. Hell, they even pay someone to wander around with them to carry and answer the company mobile phone.

There is far too much elitism in hand tool this and that. In days of old they used a panel saw or a pit saw 'cos that is what they had not really what they wanted. After all if that was the case then there would be no such thing as an electric drill or table saw.

 

[Ttrees]

Agreed with the folks above, so sad to hear of Phil's passing.
Search on youtube for "the art of woodworking" for some of his stuff.
That series covers a lot.
I was reminded from watching the Wood and shop channel, that they visited him as well.
I must watch that again, here's what I forgot which I've never seen elsewhere (not that I'm a scroller) the link is cut to the interesting bit.


Here is wee list of folks on youtube and possibly elsewhere who would be the closest to doing all handwork you might find.
You sound like your wanting to learn skills, and not seeking the basic stuff to get a specific job done.

I'll start on the first thing to learn which is to use the double iron plane correctly,
'David W' should clear that up for you, aswell as his writings titled "setting the cap iron".
He is the only English speaking person "on the entire youtube" who you will find go into detail on the subject, not that David's videos are aimed as tutorials, but you can learn if you wish to learn how a plane should be set up, unlike 99 percent of other stuff out there on youtube.

For one starting out, it might be worth looking up how to use a plane first, and IMO no-one holds a candle compared to the teachings of 'David Charlesworth'

The above Derek Cohen has got a youtube channel worth subscribing to aswell.

I found an old youtube thread where I can paste some names
Mitch Peacock,
Andy Lovelock Brit01425,
The English woodworker,
Mike Pekovich,
Rob Cosman,
Chris or Christopher Schwarz,
Bob Van ****,
Rowden Atelier,
Hendjim,
David Barron,
Simon James,
Richard Leon,
Frank Strazza/Homestead heritage school of woodworking.
Epic woodworking,
Scott Horsburgh,
Frank Klausz
Strvros Gakos

KillenWood
David Beoff
Steve Latta
Paul Schurch
Pieter Koorn De Ornamentenwinkel
Hernán Costa



I'm sure there's more mostly hand tool working I forgot.
Enough to get through even writing a specific list, hopefully some might be new to you.
Appologies, it seems I cant do you a good turn without editing my post
Tom

 

[tibi]

How far back in the process does it have to be hand tools? Axe felling the tree, saw pit...?
I ask because there are a lot of hand tool guys, like Garret Hack for example, who finish with hand tools but very much use machinery as well.

I am mostly interested in people who actually dimension rough sawn lumber by hand. They don't actually need to use a saw pit. Although I am curious to know if the guy who was down in the pit was better paid than the one who was at the top due to the fact that all the debris from sawing was falling on him.

Because that is the route I am "forced" to take due to spacial and neighbourhood restrictions, so I want to get some inspiration from people who walk the same route.

 

[Ttrees]

David Weaver's channel is where I suggest most useful information will be found
on hand prepping stock

 

[tibi]

The recent edition of Fine Woodworking magazine honoured the writings, teaching and furniture of Phil Lowe. He was an extraordinary woodworker. At one time he ran the woodworking school at the North Bennet Street, and their catch phrase was "Using hand tools in concert with machinery".

That is my preferred approach as well. While I pride myself on using hand tools, I do not see anything special about building everything that way. Power tools and machines are important, and balancing their use is sensible.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek,

Thank you for your answer. I need to go the hand tool only route because of my neighbourhood and space restrictions. I have a Makita NB2012 12" thickness planer. I planed one side of 8" wide dry oak by hand and ran it through the thickness planer. The machine suffered a lot and the thickness planer was probably too weak to handle the wood. The blades are new (used only a few times) and it just got stuck, even though I have cut off only 0,2-0,3 mm per pass. I had to literary push it through. It is one of the quietest thickness planers in its range, but when planing air-dried oak it made a terrible noise. When I was planing fir, everything went smoothly and the noise was tolerable. I do not want to go the hand tool route because of some purist ideology, but I do not want to make bad relationships with neighbours when they want to enjoy their weekends in a quiet environment. And also I have limited space. My workshop that I am going to build this year will be only 4x4m and I do not have enough amperage for heavy-duty machines. Now I am currently working in an even a smaller space in a garden shed.

Tibor

 

[C64]

Josh Stevens aka Mr Chickadee on YT works from the tree onward using hand tools alone on his homestead. Does some really nice joinery like the traditional Korean no nail floors as well as Shaker furniture all shot without any talking.

 

[Droogs]

The guy inb the pit would be the sawyers apprentice as all the crap and dust falls on him and in his eyes etc

 

[thetyreman]

I'd add:

Paul Sellers
Bob Rozaieski
Dorian Bracht
Alan Peters
James Krenov
Ernest Gimson
Edward Barnsley

 

[tibi]

Agreed with the folks above, so sad to hear of Phil's passing.
Search on youtube for "the art of woodworking" for some of his stuff.
That series covers a lot.
I was reminded from watching the Wood and shop channel, that they visited him as well.
I must watch that again, here's what I forgot which I've never seen elsewhere (not that I'm a scroller) the link is cut to the interesting bit.


Here is wee list of folks on youtube and possibly elsewhere who would be the closest to doing all handwork you might find.
You sound like your wanting to learn skills, and not seeking the basic stuff to get a specific job done.

I'll start on the first thing to learn which is to use the double iron plane correctly,
'David W' should clear that up for you, aswell as his writings titled "setting the cap iron".
He is the only English speaking person "on the entire youtube" who you will find go into detail on the subject, not that David's videos are aimed as tutorials, but you can learn if you wish to learn how a plane should be set up, unlike 99 percent of other stuff out there on youtube.

For one starting out, it might be worth looking up how to use a plane first, and IMO no-one holds a candle compared to the teachings of 'David Charlesworth'

The above Derek Cohen has got a youtube channel worth subscribing to aswell.

I found an old youtube thread where I can paste some names
Mitch Peacock,
Andy Lovelock Brit01425,
The English woodworker,
Mike Pekovich,
Rob Cosman,
Chris or Christopher Schwarz,
Bob Van ****,
Rowden Atelier,
Hendjim,
David Barron,
Simon James,
Richard Leon,
Frank Strazza/Homestead heritage school of woodworking.
Epic woodworking,
Scott Horsburgh,
Frank Klausz
Strvros Gakos

KillenWood
David Beoff
Steve Latta
Paul Schurch
Pieter Koorn De Ornamentenwinkel
Hernán Costa



I'm sure there's more mostly hand tool working I forgot.
Enough to get through even writing a specific list, hopefully some might be new to you.
Appologies, it seems I cant do you a good turn without editing my post
Tom

Thank you very much Tom,

I follow already 1/3 of the list that you have posted. I will watch the rest to get some additional knowledge and inspiration. With my restrictions, hand tool only is the only way I can start working with wood at the place where I live. It is not a matter of preference or some woodworking guru inspiration, but space and noise restrictions that I need to obey. And as I will produce furniture mostly for my family only, speed is not an issue. It is more a therapy for me.

 

[paulrbarnard]

I am mostly interested in people who actually dimension rough sawn lumber by hand. They don't actually need to use a saw pit. Although I am curious to know if the guy who was down in the pit was better paid than the one who was at the top due to the fact that all the debris from sawing was falling on him.

Because that is the route I am "forced" to take due to spacial and neighbourhood restrictions, so I want to get some inspiration from people who walk the same route.

Hard core then.

Tom Fidgen is my favourite of the hard core hand tools guys.

I had no power in my workshop for years and did everything including dimensioning lumber. It's not easy and as Droogs pointed out a fair degree of masochism is required. I confest to having surcum to an electric apprentice in the form of a small bandsaw I borrowed from my Dad to help with the rip cuts. The rest is still all hand work though and I really love it. I have a bit of a plane addiction...

If you are going the full hard core route you will need a good 4 point rip saw and plenty of time. Tom Fidgen makes and uses a bow saw that seems to be a good alternative for ripping to rough dimension.

 

[skeetstar]

Thomas Chippendale

Grinling gibbons too.
Plus of course Jesus of Nazareth

 

[Doug B]

Plus of course Jesus of Nazareth

you’re forgetting his mate Noah built a blooming great arc that lad did all with hand tools