What's your favorite hand tool?

[Daniel Morgan]

It's nothing special, just a scratch awl.

It's special to me because it was my grandfather's. He was a master carpenter, building houses for decades. He showed me how to use it and take care of it.

It was a staple of his toolbox and it shows many years of use.

So, come on folks, what's your favorite tool and why?

P.S. Can someone tell me how to make my photo files smaller so they will upload?

Thanks

[Shawn Pixley]

For woodworking, it is my LN 60-1/2 block plane. It seems to fit my hand so well and is so very useful, it is almost always on the bench ready for use.

For metalworking, it is my grandfather's small sledge. I have such good memories of him using it and me helping when I was young. He was such a profound male role model, using it reminds me to be a better man. Not very logical, but very real, nonetheless.

[Curtis Niedermier]

Mine varies, depending on the day, but for the most part it's my Bad Axe 12-inch hybrid dovetail/small tenon saw filed rip. I use it for 98 percent of my sawing - crosscut and ripping. It's the only tool I bring in the house every night. The rest sleep in the garage.

A close second would be my Veritas bevel-up jack plane. It was my only plane for a long time, and I've used it for all sorts of tasks beyond what would be considered it's "intended"
purpose.

I'm also really starting to enjoy shaping wood with a spokeshave and could see a nice shave taking over my top spot soon. I will hopefully be investing in a couple of the Boggs shaves soon. Once I refurb a couple of drawknives, I'm planning to start working on some simple chairs. The little drawknife work I have done has been very enjoyable too.

[Jim Koepke]

So, come on folks, what's your favorite tool and why?

P.S. Can someone tell me how to make my photo files smaller so they will upload?

Naming a favorite tool is like trying to name a favorite child. Today one thrills you and tomorrow it is another deserving heaps of praise.

Somedays it is even a stone that is "King of the shop."

I have used a shareware program called Graphic Converter. There are likely others that allow you to save images to jpegs and then allow the user to set the file size.

jtk

[Derrell W Sloan]

Right now it is a spoke shave. My 6 year old son loves to use it and the big smile it puts on his face puts a big smile on my face. I also take pleasure in thinking that one day he will be able to teach his children how to use it and he can remember the times we worked together with it. I doubt that will happen with any of my tools that have a cord attached to them.

[Jim R Edwards]

Lie Nielsen 60 1/2R.

[Tony Zaffuto]

LN 102 (maybe, as I got to think a bit more). Maybe my vintage #16 panel saw. Nope, the vintage 4# Stanley tri-square.

Jim's got it right: they're like kids, one day you want to kick the rear, the next day you're giving them a hug.

[Adam Petersen]

Veritas carcase crosscut saw. I use it for 95% of my crosscuts. It gets used a lot, cuts nice and feels great in my hand.

[Gary Baler]

Its a Stanley no. 78 duplex rabbet plane my father bought in about 1949. He was building a house next to our little trailer home and was so excited when he brought it home. I was 4 years old and still remember him sitting at the kitchen table carving a box for it. I build log home decor ... mostly from aspen and it is great for cleaning up rabbets on picture frames. I think of him every time I use it. He built this house by himself with no electrical tools ... and as far as I can remember, just a hand saw, a hammer, a brace and bit and this plane.

I've probably used it on a hundred frames and never had to sharpen the blade. Can't tell you how many hours it has saved me by allowing me to get into the corners of the picture frame rabbets so that the glass will lay flat.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

We have to pick just one??? Well certainly the new LV shooting plane is a top contender. It's just so beautiful as well as functional. Also the whole idea of shooting miters has really changed my game. I should have done this long ago.

Another favorite, also from LV- my matched set of skewed dab sting block planes. I use them for all sorts of trimming, especially in wood strip building and for making ship laps on lapstrake construction.

[Joe Tilson]

My hands are my favorite tools. They're always there for you when you need them. They work well together and never seem to complain to much, well, until you get a little older, that is.

[Adam Cruea]

Favorite? Probably my #51 shooter. I don't use it much, but it's just so nice to use and feels so nice.

If not that, one of my #8 jointers or one of my BadAxe saws.

[Chris Griggs]

Tough question, and it changes. Currently, I'm really digging the Miller Falls 15, I picked up this past spring. It gets A LOT of use.

[george wilson]

This question has come up before. I still have to say the knife. It is capable of doing more kinds of work than any other tool. I used to carve guitar necks with a pocket knife when I was young,and I carved the lion's head violin neck largely with a knife.

[Curt Putnam]

Favorite in terms of sentimental is a spokeshave I got for my 11th or 12th birthday. Favorite in terms of antiques is a probably 150+ yr old mallet that I've loaded with epoxy to put back in user condition. Favorite in terms of use is whatever is sharpest at the moment. Love my power strops.

Irfanview is a widely popular, free image viewing program that has a resize/resample capability. I use Lightroom for that sort of stuff.