A Comprehensive List of All the Tools You Need to Start Your Own Carpentry Wood Shop

Have you ever wondered what’s in a Carpenter’s Tool Kit? Wonder no more!  On today’s edition of Carpenter’s Corner, we’re sharing the different tools you’ll find in our tool belts and woodshops.

We assume if you’re here on this post, you’ve already got the basics like a hammer, tape measure, cordless drill, and level, you’ll be all set to level up your carpentry game!  If you’re looking to start up your own home woodshop, this list will provide a comprehensive library of tools for your startup.  They’ll help you to complete a wide variety of carpentry projects both large and small. By the time you're done shopping, you'll have all the essential tools you need to start your own carpentry wood shop.

Block Plane is a hand tool made of metal with a blade embedded at a lower angle, used to cut end grains or do touch ups or even finish a piece. It’s small enough to be used by one hand, and the beveled plane faces upwards.

A Bench plane is used for cutting with the grain, and is used to prep a piece for finishing.

Chisels are by and large the most common tool in woodworking and carpentry.  They feature a steel blade set inside a wooden or plastic handle. This tool allows a carpenter to split, chop, and pare wooden surfaces.

Circular saws can cut extremely clean lines, and easily cut odd shapes from multiple types of materials from wood to metal and more.  The circular saw can quickly create cross cuts and rip cuts in multiple sizes depending on the blade selected.

Combination Squares are multi-purpose measuring and marking tools used by carpenters which feature interchangeable heads that can be attached to the ruler, and often feature a bubble vial level.  They’re used to gauge depth and flatness, as well as measuring the center of a circular object or simple distance measurements.

Diagonal Cutting Pliers are used for cutting and skinning wires, but also for cutting and removing nails, pins, and other fastening hardware.  The cutting edges are diagonally offset by about 15° which means a carpenter can cut flush with the surface.

Folding Utility Knives are an indispensable tool for all carpenters. Having a foldable, heavy duty utility knife can serve many purposes from opening packages,  cutting rope or twine, cutting into drywall, slicing into fiberglass insulation, and even splitting small wood pieces or kindling.

Handsaws are used in carpentry for dovetailing, joinery, and cutting wood into different shapes to fit together. Learn more about different types of saws here!

A Joiner’s Wood Mallet is used for striking chisels, and will prevent breaking the wooden handle of your chisels when struck.

Measuring Squares also known as speed squares or rafter squares are used for marking and referencing 90° angles; mitre squares are used for 45° angles. Carpenters use these to check the correctness of a right angle, and ensure their project is precisely measured for an even fit.

Nail Setters or nail punches are steel bars with a short stature and tapered end used in conjunction with a hammer to strike the head of a finish nail and sink them into the surface without damaging the wood around it.

Nail Pullers are used for removing nails from wood.

Pry Bars are metal bars with two flattened ends which have one curved side, and one or both ends featuring a divet or fissure for removing nails and other metal fasteners. These are used to pull apart two objects by using leverage.

Routers are great for rounding edges, cutting recesses for inlays, shaping, and creating finished edges. This versatile tool has a flat base and a rotating blade that extends out past the base and cuts at high speeds to create hollowed out areas.

Table Saws or table saw jigs are one of the most vital components of a carpenter’s arsenal.  The table saw cuts wood by pushing against the rotating saw blade mounted on the center of the table. This is generally used for making straight, lengthy cuts (also known as ripping) or cuttong across the grain, as well as creating angled cuts for mitered joints and bevels. They’re perfect for jobs requiring high accuracy with large pieces of material.

Vice Grips are a vital addition to any carpenter’s tool kit. They help support, clamp, and hold wood without damaging the surface.  

If you’re looking for expert carpenters to upgrade your home, office, or business’s indoor handrails and stairs, look no further than Pinto Carpentry. We’re a family owned and operated business serving most regions of New Jersey, and based out of our Plainfield woodshop. We specialize in creating bespoke staircases and interior handrail installations, and we have more than two decades of experience in doing so.

Our friendly and knowledgeable staff will be able to help you find the perfect materials and styles to match just about any interior design aesthetic, and best suited to your budget and price points.  Just give us a call!  There’s no job too big or too small, here at Pinto Carpentry we do it all.  Our experts will get you set up with an estimate appointment so our installers and carpenters can create a custom estimate for your project.  We can’t wait to work with you!

At the time of this publication, our new installation appointments are scheduled into June and July of 2025.  Please note, our wood shop is not open to the general public. To request an appointment please call (908) 922-1778.