What Every Expert Woodworker Has In Their Shop (And You Should Too)

If you want to take your woodworking to the next level, you need the right tools. In this video, I’m breaking down 5 tools that every expert woodworker swears by — the kind of tools that separate hobbyists from true pros.

From precision hand tools to shop essentials that save time (and your sanity), these are the tools that will completely change how you work with wood. Whether you’re building fine furniture, tackling custom projects, or just trying to upgrade your shop, these are the must-haves that the pros can’t live without.

✅ Which tools made the list?
✅ Why they’re essential for serious woodworking
✅ How each one can improve your accuracy, efficiency, and results

Don’t waste money on gimmicks — start building like an expert with the tools that actually matter.

👉 Drop a comment and let me know which of these tools YOU already use in your shop!

Grab a Suizan Pull Saw here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HGQXXWC/?tag=thereformat03-20

Find all of their products: https://www.suizan.net

Chat with me on Instagram:
@TheReformationWoodshop
TheReformationWoodshop.com

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What’s going on, YouTube? And do I have a spicy one for you today. Actually, this video is probably going to get me in trouble. In today’s video, I’m showing you five tools that every expert woodworker has. And obviously, I’m not saying that if you don’t have these tools, you’re not an expert woodworker, but basically, I am saying that I’m going to be showcasing some of the tools that are going to help bridge the gap from amateur to professional. [Music] The first tool on this list is probably the easiest to add to the list, and that is chisels. Chisels might seem simple in terms of woodworking tools that exist on the planet, but in the hands of a skilled woodworker, they’re unbeatable. Whether you’re cleaning out dovetails, chopping mortises, or fine-tuning a joint that just doesn’t sit right, a sharp chisel is the difference between work that looks homemade and work that looks handcrafted. I think most every woodworker has a good set of beat up chisels that they got from Lowe’s or maybe even Walmart. And while that’s totally okay, I would suggest investing in some that are specifically for higher quality work. Good chisels give you control. You can pair down to a line, adjust to fit, or carve a delicate detail, and they’re so versatile. If you put faith in the chisels that you own, you’ll use them on almost every single project. If you want to work like an absolute pro, invest in a quality set of chisels. When it comes to joints and joinery, a lot of times if you don’t have a good set of chisels, you might say, “That’s good enough.” But if you have a chisel and you take the time to hone in your joints, you will no longer settle for good enough. The next tool on this list is one of my favorites, and that is a Japanese pull saw. [Music] Hya. A lot of woodworkers who only use western saws for cutting and finishing, like the miter saw or circular saw, have no idea what they’re missing out on. I actually have five different saws made by Suzanne, and they all have different purposes. The dovetail saw is a nice rigid saw that’s made for straight line cuts. I’ve got the folding Ryoba. That’s a pull saw made for allaround utilitarian cuts. The good thing about it is it’s double-sided and it has two different teeth patterns. Another of my favorites that you’ll see woodworkers using very frequently is their flush cut saw. So, if you have any material that is right above your surface, you can chop it down and make it flush and clean. If you’re into batch cutting small pieces, this is the saw for you. This is the size material you can cut with these saws. Like, I know some of you crazy people would take this to your miter saw to cut it, but uh it’s a little dangerous. So, done. safest cut on the planet. If you need a tight, straightlinined cut, this is the saw for you. Not a jigsaw, not a circular saw, not an oscillating tool, a dubtail saw, just like this. Pull saws cut on the pull stroke instead of the push stroke, which means the blade can be thinner, the cut is smoother, and you get more control. They are incredibly precise for joinery, trimming, or breaking down smaller pieces without needing a power tool. The flexibility also makes it easy to flush cut dowels or plugs. And once you start using a pull saw, it’s actually really hard to go back. Professionals love them because they offer that next level accuracy and their applications are endless. If you take pride in your work, this is one of the final saws you should be using on every single project. All right, so for tool number three, we are going to raise that price a bit, but trust me, it’s worth it. Let’s talk about the woodworking planer. This one is a non-negotiable if you’re serious about woodworking. Lumber rarely comes perfectly flat or the exact thickness that you want. And a planer lets you take rough stalk and mill it down to precise, consistent dimensions. This board has been laying in my yard for a couple of years now, and I didn’t even know it was a nice piece of red oak. And my planer brought it back to life. All right, so here’s a little test. Five bucks if you can tell me what species of wood this is before I plan it. [Music] It’s maple. Yay. It was kind of easy to tell, but now it’s prettier than ever. And if you finally leveled up and moved on from buying lumber from Lowe’s or Home Depot to build furniture with, you’re definitely going to need a planer to mill down that walnut that you’re going to be investing in for nicer, more quality projects. Without a planer, you’re basically stuck buying pre-surface lumber, which means it’s more expensive and it limits your options. You can get one for around 300 bucks right now, but there are some that go all the way up to like $1,900. Obviously, work with your budget and make sure that when you’re at the store, grab some hearing protection, cuz this bad boy is loud. You can dimension boards exactly how you need them for joinery or furniture parts. Pros don’t just build with what they can get. They shape the wood to fit their vision, and that is what a planer allows you to do. Item number four is something that even if you’re an adamant amateur and you know you’re going to stay there forever, you should still have this as well, even if you’re not an expert, and that is dust collection. And when I say dust collection, I mean shopbacks, separators, benchtop dust collectors, single stage dust collectors, two-stage cyclone dust collectors, station specific dust collectors, overarm blade guard collectors, downdraft tables, miter saw dust shrouds and enclosures, central dust collection systems, and maybe even all the way down to respirators. It might not sound glamorous or in the realm of the power tool category, but it is absolutely crucial. Professional woodworkers know that the dust isn’t just a mess, it’s a health hazard. Fine dust from sanding and sawing can hang in the air and do real damage to your lungs over time. A good dust collection system always keeps your shop cleaner and safer. And honestly, it makes your tools work better. [Music] One of the great things about dust collection is it doesn’t have to be an expensive investment in woodworking. A standard sixgallon shop back can run you about $60 at Harbor Freight. You can get a cheap shop back for $60. But if you want something with more power, you can get larger models that are all the way up in the hundreds of dollars. And if that’s still not exactly what you need, you can pick any one of the countless setups we have here in the cabinet shop. We have the Rigid Pro pack with the dust stopper separator, the Grizzly dust collector with the Grizzly Cyclone separator. We have a few dedicated Harbor Freight dust collection systems and the biggest and most expensive of them all with a $6,000 price tag. The 10 horsepower three-phase cyclone dust collector from Grizzly. Machines like planers, joiners, table saws, sanders are all designed to work with dust collection. And trust me, you should be using it. Seriously, PSA to everybody watching this video, sawdust from lumber, and specifically plywood can be carcinogenic and it will give you cancer if you inhale it. Do your best to protect yourself from it. And dust collection is a good step. All right, this one might be the one that gets me in trouble, but item number five is another one of those non-negotiables. If you’re going to spend any time in the woodworking category and one day consider yourself an expert or a professional, you need to get a high-end sander. And just to clarify, I absolutely do mean you need to invest a little bit more money in your sander. You don’t need to get this one, but you got to get one that is made for the work and quality of work that you’re trying to achieve. A quality sander, something with variable speed, good dust collection, and a consistent orbit will give you a surface that looks flawless. Cheap sanders leave swirl marks, chatter, and even uneven surfaces that only show up after you put finish on. A prolevel sander saves you time, gives you reliable results, and takes a huge amount of frustration out of finishing. When your sanding is clean, your finish pops. If you’ve ever finished a project and sat around wondering, “Why does this not look like what the people on the internets look like?” It might be that your sander is busted and it’s time to replace it. Entry-level orbital sanders can run you about $40 brand new. Something like a DeWalt or Makita can be $80, but the sanders that I’m talking about, the Festool, the 3M, and the Murka, can be in the $500 range. I know for a fact someone is going to say, I get an incredible finish with a little dinky sander I bought from Walmart. And all I have to say about that is, congratulations, you are the goat. But if you’re spending six to eight hours a day on quality furniture that you need to make money off of so that your family can eat, all I’m saying is buy a high quality sander and make your life easier. All right, guys. Thank you so much for watching. I totally forgot to mention we recently just crossed 50,000 subscribers and I just want to say thank you guys for that because I got to be completely honest, I don’t deserve them. I’m just a guy making part-time YouTube videos in a very, very tiny shop with my kids in the backyard screaming, playing in the water. and you guys are still watching, giving me likes, comments, and kudos, all that stuff that makes me feel very good about myself. If there are any other tools that should have been added to this list, leave them in the comment section down below. And who knows, maybe I’ll put together another video just like this one. If you don’t have some of the tools on this list, don’t worry. I believe you’re a professional, and that’s all that matters. [Music]