Buying gifts for a woodworker can feel like a daunting task. Most woodworkers will insist they “don’t need anything.” But speaking as a woodworker myself… there’s always something we want. We just forget what it is whenever someone asks. Or we feel funny rattling off a wish list like kids waiting for Santa.

This guide takes the guesswork out of it. Many items listed here are tools I personally own and use. Others are tools I’ve researched, considered, or added to my own wish list based on quality and value.

If you are the woodworker, feel free to print this off, circle a few things, and leave it somewhere strategic for your loved ones to “discover.” Accidents happen. Gifts appear. Everybody wins.

And don’t worry—this list covers everyone from the brand-new sawdust maker to the seasoned wood whisperer who’s had dust in their veins for decades. You’ll find stocking stuffers, mid-range gifts, and a few big-ticket “dream tools.”

P.S. Don’t miss the woodworking riddle at the end — answer it in the comments for a shout-out in the next article!

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Before we dive into the full list, I made a video sharing my thoughts on several of the products in this guide.
You get the best of both worlds here—a real look at the tools and an article packed with even more woodworking gift ideas.

Safety and Shop Essentials

Everything in a woodworking shop revolves (or at least everything should) around safety. Protecting all ten fingers, your eyesight, and your hearing is a fantastic place to start. So that’s exactly where we begin — with gifts that protect the woodworker you love.

RZ Dust Mask

My favorite face mask of all time. The filters are replaceable, the mask is washable, and most importantly, it doesn’t fog up my glasses, and the bright green color makes it easy to find on a cluttered bench.

ISOtunes PRO 3.0 Bluetooth Hearing Protection

Outstanding hearing protection and great sound for music or Audible. Comfortable, effective, and I use mine constantly.

BOW Products Featherboard

This thing grips like a bulldog. The foam-style feathers hold the board so tightly that I can pull backward as hard as I want—simulating kickback—and the board won’t budge. Yet it slides forward smoothly, exactly the way it should. Stackable or standalone, and one of my favorite safety upgrades.

MicroJig GRR-Ripper

Perfect for keeping your hands safe when you need to make cuts at the table saw with the blade guard removed.

Little Wizard Lumber/Metal Detector

More than once, this tool has saved my planer and jointer blades. It finds nails and screws hiding in reclaimed or rough lumber before they destroy your tools.

Blade-Loc Table Saw Blade Change Tool

A gift from my wife, and one I’ve appreciated every time I change blades. No more trying to hold a blade with your hands or jamming wood between the teeth.

Grizzly Gloves Heavy Duty Work Gloves

Essential for moving lumber around the shop. Just don’t ever wear gloves while using machines.

UUP Waxed Canvas Woodworking Apron

I haven’t used this one personally, but with 20-oz canvas, nine pockets, and excellent reviews, it’s the runner-up to my favorite apron below.

Katz-Moses Woodworking Apron

My everyday apron. Plenty of pockets, durable materials, and even a leather holster for my 6″ square. Love this thing.

Get even more safety ideas from our articles: 9 Essential Woodworking Safety Tips To Prevent Injuries In The Shop, and Table Saw Safety

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Measuring, Layout & Setup Tools

Accurate measuring and layout tools make woodworking fun, instead of frustrating. A few of these live in my apron because I reach for them constantly. Your woodworker will love getting any of these.

Woodcraft 16′ Fractional Tape Measure

This is my first apron choice. It stays open without collapsing, retracts with a button, and has fractions labeled in 1/8ths on the lower half of the tape — incredibly handy.

Eanosic Setup Blocks (15-Piece)

Stackable blocks for precise setup on tools, routers, fences — no more guessing.

iGaging 6″ EZ-Cal Digital Calipers

Most calipers measure down to 1/128″. This one measures in 1/32″ increments, which is perfect for woodworking. Another permanent resident of my apron.

iGaging Bench Squares (4″ and 7″)

These aren’t your typical speed squares. Accurate, versatile, and used on nearly every project I make.

Shinwa 6″ Machinist Ruler (4R)

Small, precise, and always accessible in my top apron pocket.

Starrett 4″ & 6″ Double Squares

A gift from my best friend — and the most accurate squares I own. Zero play, dead-on perfect. These both live in my apron as well. iGaging makes an excellent (more affordable) alternative too.

1-2-3 Blocks

Indispensable for setup, spacing, and precision work. They are called 1-2-3 blocks because they are exactly 1 inch thick, 2 inches wide, and 3 inches tall.

DIYLOG Setup Blocks (16-Piece)

Similar to the Eanosic set but includes a small triangle square.

DUDUXI Setup Bars

Fixed-height setup bars perfect for adjustments.

ALLmeter Digital Table Saw Gauge

Critical for dialing in perfect alignment between the blade, fence, and miter slot.

Mini 3D Multi-Angle Ruler

Great for marking around edges and corners.

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Bits and Bores

Clean holes, accurate countersinks, and reliable bits are essential for sharp-looking projects.

Keewaki Auger Bit Set (8-Piece, 3-Cutter Head)

Ideal for deep holes and fast removal.

DECKRKAT Countersink/Counterbore Set (5-Piece)

Five sizes for perfect screw-head fits every time.

Sedianas Cobalt Drill Bit Set (29-Piece)

A solid full-range set that covers almost any drilling need.

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Hand Tool Essentials

Cutting, trimming, and shaping wood by hand requires tools that hold an edge and feel good in your hands.

Narex Bench Chisels

Narex is hard to beat for the price. Excellent steel, holds an edge, and their mortising and skew chisels are fantastic for joinery.

Bench Dog Small Chisel Plane

I resisted buying this for years. My only regret? Not buying it sooner. Fantastic for trimming dowels, cleaning corners, and removing dried glue.

Japanese Pull Saw

Cuts on the pull stroke — smoother, easier, and more controlled. I recommend a Dozuki for joinery and a Ryoba for rip/crosscut versatility.

WishWeaver Wood Carving Kit (44-Piece)

Even though carving isn’t my main focus, this set offers a great entry point for anyone wanting to explore carving or add decorative touches to their work.

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Sharpening

Ask 20 woodworkers how to sharpen — you’ll get 20 answers. But everyone agrees on this: sharp tools are safer tools.

I mostly use diamond stones, water stones, and my Tormek slow speed water grinder.  There are starter kits out there, but I would caution that sometimes the cheaper sets that have everything may not be the best for your tools.  I learned that the hard way.

These sharpening tools have served me well for years.

DMT Diamond Plate (350/1200)

My first sharpener from decades ago. After 20 years it still works beautifully.

DMT DiaSharp Mini-Hone Kit

These little paddle sharpeners are super for touching up router bits and other things too small for regular stones.

King Pro Water Stones

Reliable stones at a good price. Ideal grit lineup:

• 200–300 (coarse)
• 800 (medium)
• 1200 (fine)
• 4000–6000 (polish)

Veritas Mk.II Honing Guide

It is hard to accurately get a consistent edge on a tool without a quality honing system.  I have used this one from Varitas for as long as I have been sharpening.  Reliable every time.

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Clamps

Clamps are one of the easiest gifts to get right. Woodworkers use them for everything — glue-ups, assembly, holding parts square, keeping boards flat, or serving as that extra set of hands we never seem to have.

Non-woodworkers feel woodworkers could get by with less clamps.
But every woodworker knows the truth: you can never have enough clamps. Especially when you NEED JUST ONE more of a certain size for a project.

Parallel-Jaw Clamps

Perfect for panel glue-ups and projects where you need parts to stay flat and square. These are the “Cadillacs” of clamps. 24-inch are great for small projects. Cabinets require longer clamps like 36 to 50 inch.

F-Style Bar Clamps

Lightweight, strong, and endlessly useful around the shop. A forever favorite. One drawback of some brands is the bar will bend when tightening. That doesn’t hold your work securely.

Pipe Clamps

These have been the go-to clamps for generations. And you can make any length clamp you need just by changing the pipe. I prefer the 3/4 inch ones.

Quick-Grip / One-Handed Clamps

Great for holding odd shapes or when you need a fast clamp that adjusts with one hand.

Spring Clamps

Cheap, addictive, and shockingly handy. These make great stocking stuffers.

Corner / Right-Angle Clamps

Excellent for frames, boxes, and cabinet work. They make squaring up assemblies much easier. I have a few sets of corner clamps in various sizes. Indispensable for assembly jewelry boxes to cabinets.

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Jigs, Router Gear & Slab Tools

These are the problem-solvers — tools you might not use daily, but when you need them, nothing else will do.

Lightdream 4-in-1 Rounded Corner Router Template

I will be honest.  I have been looking at getting some templates like this for a long time.  This is the only one I’ve seen that also includes the bits.

Sigerio Router Groove Bracket / Circle Jig

A good circle jig makes life so much easier. You won’t use it every day — but when you need it, you’ll be glad you have it.

Sloson Router Sled (Slab Flattening Jig)

Perfect for oversized slabs or large panels that don’t fit on a jointer or planer. Also excellent for flattening end-grain cutting boards.

DUDUXI Thin Rip Jig

Safer and more precise than trying to cut thin strips between the fence and blade. I don’t use this exact brand, but the concept is fantastic.

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Glue-Up, Finishing & Workholding

Without finishing supplies, you’d just cut wood into shapes and stare at it. These tools help you actually complete projects.

Titebond 2 & 3 Wood Glue

My go-to glues. Titebond 2 is interior water resistant, Titebond 3 is interior/exterior and water proof but not for submersion. Both are strong and reliable.

Rockler Silicone Glue Applicator Kit

Dried glue peels right off. A simple but brilliant time-saver.

Rockler Glue Scraper

Saves the day when glue dries before you get back to it. Comfortable handle and great angle.

Better Boat Double-Sided Woodworking Tape

Perfect for temporarily attaching templates or pieces you need to flush-trim.

High-Quality Brushes

Your finishing job will only be as good as the tools you use. I use mostly Purdy brushes. Not cheapest, but if you clean them properly, they’ll last a lifetime.

Foam Brushes

Sometimes a project calls for throw away applicators.  Foam brushes are my go to in those situations.

Painter’s Pyramids

Cheap, useful, and I’m not sure it’s possible to have too many.

Duckbe Custom Electric Branding Iron

Electric version — no extra heat source needed.

Imotoga Custom Branding Iron

This is the style I use with my company logo. Pro tip: brand before finishing. Trust me.

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Wood, Kits & Project Plans

Tools are great — but woodworkers also love projects.

Baltic Birch Plywood (3/4″ × 30″ × 30″ & 1/8″ × 30″ × 30″)

True Baltic Birch is far superior to big-box plywood. More layers, no voids, stable as can be.

Project Kits & Plans

• Tap Room Cutting Board Kit – Walnut/Maple
• Cutting Board Kit – Cherry/Maple/Purpleheart
• Rocking & Hobby Horse Project Plan
• Wall-Mounted Clamp Rack Plan
• Mission American Baby Cradle Plan

Need more help getting inspired? Check out our Step-by-Step Guide To Your First Woodworking Project and Easy Woodworking Projects For Beginners articles.

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Books, Learning & Inspiration

I learned a ton of my woodworking skills from books, magazines, and online teachers. These are all excellent starting points.

The Wood Database

Incredible resource for learning wood species.
https://www.wood-database.com/

Understanding Wood Finishing (Bob Flexner)

I’ve read it cover-to-cover many times, and still reference it constantly. This book is the gold standard of finishing books.

The Complete Book of Woodworking (Landauer)

Over 40 projects and excellent instruction. I used this as a textbook when teaching woodworking to homeschoolers. One of my students actually made the cabinet on the cover from plans in this book.

Magazines

• WoodSmith
• Fine Woodworking
• Popular Woodworking
• Wood Magazine

I personally subscribe to Popular Woodworking, Wood Magazine, and ShopSmith.

Online Classes

• Woodworkers Guild of America
• The Wood Whisperer Guild
• MasterClass woodworking series

Learn more about woods and setting up your first shop with these articles: The Truth About Hardwoods And Softwoods and Setting Up Your Woodworking Shop: A Practical Guide For Hobbyists and Home Woodworker.

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Woodworking Machines

What kind of woodworker would I be if I didn’t include some machines?
(We’re just big kids with bigger toys.)

The jointers listed here are actually on my wish list — so if anyone REALLY loves this woodworker… well, I’m easy to shop for. 😄

Oliver 13″ HCX Helical Benchtop Planer

I bought this last December when my old Ridgid planer died.
WOW. WOW. WOW.
Quiet, smooth, and it never clogs with chips.

Oliver 8″ Parallelogram Jointer (3 HP)

Beefy, accurate, and capable of handling anything you throw its way. It was even on sale the day I took this picture at Woodcraft in Appleton, WI.

Grizzly G0856 8″ × 72″ Jointer (Helical, Mobile Base)

I own several Grizzly machines and have been very impressed. This one is less expensive than the Oliver and includes a mobile base.

Any woodworker would be over the moon to find one of these under the tree.

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Woodcraft, Rockler & Other Woodworking Stores

I recently visited my local Woodcraft in Appleton, WI and snapped pictures of items that caught my eye for this article. Rather than make this guide even longer, I’ve included the photos below for additional inspiration. Your woodworker may spot exactly what they’ve been wanting.

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From My Bench to Yours

We’ve covered a lot — stocking stuffers, must-have tools, dream machines, books, kits, and more.

Whether you’re gifting someone else or treating yourself, I hope this guide sparks fresh inspiration.

I’d love to hear what you think should be on the list — and if you get any of these items, let me know what you think!

Until next time,

Keep making something.

Mike G

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