r/handtools • • Apr 07 '26

Selling Rule Clarification

71 Upvotes

Per a recent conversation about selling tools in our subreddit, the Mod Team and I would like to clarify the rules. I would like to stress this is a clarification and not a new rule.

Sales within this subreddit are restricted to individuals. Professional or Trade sellers are not permitted to sell things in this subreddit.

In this context, an individual is someone who is selling their own tools for one reason or another. Perhaps you have too many hand planes and don't want to be called a collector, so your decide to sell a few. This is fine and we support this.

Examples of being a "professional" seller include having a dedicated user account for selling tools, having a price sheet, and having inventory. This is not an exhaustive list. Hopefully the intent is understood. Please ask us if you have questions.

We understand people leave the hobby for various reasons. If you liquidating an entire personal collection of tools, please contact the mod team first. Selling a lifetime of tools can certainly LOOK like a professional seller and we want to be reasonable.

We have adjusted the side-bar rules section to better match dedicated "Rules" section of the subreddit. As part of that change, we are directing sellers to their own subreddit, /r/AntiqueToolBroker . We are happy to point at other useful tool selling subreddits. Give us a list and we will consider adding them.

As always, thank you all for making this subreddit what it is.


r/handtools • • 5m ago

New handle and tune up for a thrift store back saw.

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• Upvotes

I picked up this back saw for $10 a year or so ago for habitat for humanity. It was fine but the handle wasn't great so I made a new one out of sugar maple. Also made the sex bolts at the machine shop at work.

I resharpened it like Paul Sellers described in a recent YouTube short: first three inches with the top of the file flat, next 4 inches tilted about third rotation, and the rest of the sat with the standard rip profile. She cuts like a dream!

I've done a few cross cuts with the from of the saw and have no complaints. I may sharpen the first three inches as a proper cross cut the next time she needs a sharpening.


r/handtools • • 14h ago

For sale: Lie Nielsen Bronze Skew Block Plane (RH)

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20 Upvotes

Mid 90s model with box and papers. Asking $450 shipped CONUS. Great condition, no issues.


r/handtools • • 4h ago

Awesome Tool Auction

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0 Upvotes

Hey guys, I'm not affiliated with this in anyway but wanted to share u/wigfootwallace 's auction he put up. Lots of awesome stuff and low starting prices. I've made some purchases from him in the past with no issues at all and figured it was worth the share!


r/handtools • • 8h ago

Affordable Japanese Chisels?

3 Upvotes

I'm thinking about trying Japanese chisels. I hear some people really like them and some don't - harder to sharpen but hold an edge longer, and tend to be more brittle so they chip on the edge instead of folding over.
Anyone know of any that are not complete crud, but won't break my bank account?


r/handtools • • 1d ago

This Simple Grooving Plane is a Joy to Use

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178 Upvotes

I started this last September based on videos from Graham Blackburn and Wood By Wright. It never worked too well, binding badly as it approached full depth, and after using it a couple times I just went to the tablesaw for grooves. Yesterday I was finishing a couple of small coffers from American Peasant and needed to groove the breadboard ends for the lids and decided to finally give this the attention to make it work.

I used a chisel to ease the inside edges, applied a good amount of paste wax to the plane surfaces and to a piece of grooved cherry, and spent a few minutes aggressively riding it back and forth. What a difference! The burnishing action along with the wax worked the wood into compliance and left a glassy surface to slide on. After that I gave it some final shaping and finishing work, then an all over coat of paste wax.

It's made from a piece of steamed euro beech that I keep on hand for plane making, with initial cutting and shaping done on my tablesaw. Cutting the recess for the iron and wedge were done with hand tools, as was the final shaping and smoothing. The iron is a 12 dollar DeWalt 1/4 inch chisel with the handle cut off, an affordable and expedient way to get a good plane iron for grooving or rabbet planes!

This thing really cuts like a dream now! I can pull this out of my tool chest and cut a perfect quarter by quarter by quarter groove in seconds. Far faster than I can set up the tablesaw. This is one instance where the hand tools absolutely outperform the electron-driven madness of power tools. If you don't have one, don't be afraid to try making one, it's a great tool to have and a fun project!

I hope this post inspires you to go make something, or at least to go out and caress your tools in appreciation of their beauty and quiet utility.


r/handtools • • 20h ago

Will a smaller handle make sawing easier?

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23 Upvotes

I have pretty small hands (3.25” across the palm), so handles on tools are always oversized for me. Usually it’s not a big deal, I can still get a good enough grip.

I’ve recently learned that the horns on a saw are supposed to help control it and stabilize against the hand.… and I’m wondering if this might be why I find it so difficult to control the front/back tilt and pressure of the saw. On my smallest saw handle there’s still about 3/4” between my hand and the lower horn. But I’m also a beginner so it’s hard to tell which problems are the tools vs a skill issue.

How important is it for a saw handle to fit your hand? Is it worth making smaller ones for my saws?


r/handtools • • 1d ago

I just love this little guy.

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118 Upvotes

r/handtools • • 1d ago

[WTS] 19th Century Cabinetmaker's Chest. Located in Mass.

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123 Upvotes

Fantastic chest from Mid-Atlantis area. Masonic symbolism. $500 firm. Located in Massachusetts. Size is appx. 21" x 21" x 42". Must be picked up.


r/handtools • • 1d ago

Dovetail Alignment Board

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73 Upvotes

Wenge & Curly Maple


r/handtools • • 1d ago

Selling: WoodRiver #5-1/2 plane

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13 Upvotes

Hi all,

I'm selling an under-one-year-old WoodRiver #5-1/2 bench plane in pristine, lightly used condition. It has been fully tuned, flat-backed, and dialed in to pull continuous, whisper-thin shavings right out of the box (see photo).

Rob Cosman AdjuSTAR Installed: Upgraded with the $45 Rob Cosman brass depth adjustment wheel for ultra-smooth, fine-tuned depth control.

Original Parts Included: I'll include the original factory brass adjuster knob as well, so you can swap back if preferred.

Sole & Iron: Sole is clean and flat; high-carbon steel iron is sharp, flattened, and ready to take paper thin shavings on day one with zero prep time required.

Condition: Excellent condition. Clean, well-maintained.

Asking $235 with free shipping

Local pickup preferred (central NJ), but willing to ship for FREE within the US lower 48. Payment will be handled by PayPal G&S, or Venmo w/ Purchase Protection

UPDATE: Sale pending. Thanks, Redditors!


r/handtools • • 1d ago

Recommend a workbench?

5 Upvotes

Hi, I’d like some help figuring out a good workbench for a small apartment setup. I know a lot of people will recommend to build my own, but I’d really rather just buy so I can get started on other projects.

So far, I’m considering:
1. Sjobergs multi function workbench
2. Ramia foldable workbench
3. Sjobergs Junior/Senior workbench

I’ll be working on relatively small projects, boxes, frames, nightstands, side tables etc. would I be going wrong selecting any of these? Are there any other recommendations out there?

Thanks!


r/handtools • • 2d ago

Anarchist Tool Chest

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338 Upvotes

This was a pandemic build back in 2020.


r/handtools • • 1d ago

A very nice surprise at the booth mall today

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28 Upvotes

I know there are bigger and more exciting finds. But this is my first Stanley no. 4 (have about 4 or 5 other brands of no.4’s very partial to my wards master)

Cleaned up very nicely, tote and knob are in fantastic shape and the sole has just the tiniest bit of pitting at the tail end, but I think it will be gone after flattening. But, I get it now, never really chased after an official Stanley. I heard the wards master was mostly a rebrand and I have a miller falls 4. But damn, everything is so clean and tight and is a breeze to work with. Also the back screw that keeps the frog straight and tight is something I havnt seen before and wish it was used more now.

Just wanted to share because I was excited. If you took time to read, thank you.


r/handtools • • 1d ago

Hand plane mouth is too narrow even after moving the frog all the way back.

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64 Upvotes

I've moved the frog as far back as the screws mounting holes will let me go, but the end result is still a very narrow mouth. Is it possible to make it larger? Hand plane is a Stanley No 5 Bailey with the iron sharpened to 25°.


r/handtools • • 2d ago

Kumiko Whiskey Cabinet

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202 Upvotes

Black Limba carcass, Eastern White pine for drawer sides and bottom, walnut door pull, basswood & Wenge Kumiko panel. Brusso knife hinges


r/handtools • • 1d ago

Mitigating cupping after resaw

8 Upvotes

Hi folks, asking for some advise on how to make the most of some boards I resawed with a bandsaw. they were originally 7/8” thick, and resawn generally in half but the blade wandered some and wasn’t well tuned. After resawing it released a lot of internal tension and the boards all cupped a good bit. I’d still like to try to use these boards, shooting for 1/4-3/8” thickness for some drawer sides. I think my first idea is to rip them in half, flatten the halves individually, then glue back together. Do you all have any other tips to try to get these boards flat while preserving as much thickness as possible?

EDIT: across 8.5” of width the center of the cup is about 1/8”-3/16” lower than the edges.


r/handtools • • 2d ago

Kumiko Jigs

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149 Upvotes

Had a nice slab of cherry and used a bit of Wenge lying around as well


r/handtools • • 1d ago

Stanley 67 screw hole purpose?

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3 Upvotes

I recently acquired a Stanley no 67. I know I’m missing the round sole attachment, but what are these two holes for? I can’t find anything online about what their purpose is.

Thanks!


r/handtools • • 1d ago

Is this the wrong iron for this molding plane?

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17 Upvotes

Just got this molding plane (for cheap luckily) but the iron looks slightly off from the sole/body pattern. The iron looks pretty freshly ground. Should I regrind it to more closely follow the body?


r/handtools • • 1d ago

Help identifying

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0 Upvotes

Been going through a lot of my late father's tools that he left me. And came across these two items and was hoping someone would be able to tell me a bit about their history and how to maybe clean them up. Appreciate it thanks in advance! It appears there is a 7R, and a five on the smaller one.


r/handtools • • 2d ago

Help identifying this Craftsman plane

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6 Upvotes

r/handtools • • 2d ago

Hand plane identification

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5 Upvotes

Hey everyone I just picked up this Stanley hand plane from a thrift store, I do a bit of woodworking as a hobby.

What type of hand plane would this be? And what would it best be used for?

Thanks for the help :)


r/handtools • • 2d ago

Draw knife restoration

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26 Upvotes

I got this draw knife thrown in for free with a big set of auger bits and a few braces I was buying it was heavily rusted and the blade had completely lost a it’s edge i decided I’d restore it over the weekend and im happy with how it turned out
Cuts beautifully now


r/handtools • • 2d ago

Workbench Buddy

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53 Upvotes

Recently saw John McGrath’s video about the workbench buddy and decided to test it out by hastily making scrap wood prototype (I dont really like spending time on shop furniture). I also had a mug boss thing I wrapped around the base.

Now all the small knickknacks and phone have an easy access place. I even clamped my bench lamp on it.

If I like it enough and think of layout improvements, I’ll definitely make a nicer version.