If you are new to woodworking and are unsure whether it's for you, or if you have worked with power tools and want to understand what hand tool woodworking is really about, this is the right place to start.

This is not a DIY carpentry class — it is a focused, unhurried introduction to the core tools and principles that underpin everything in fine woodworking.

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We begin with sharpening. A sharp tool is not a luxury — it is a fundamental requirement. You can own the finest tools in the world, but if they are not sharp, they become an obstacle to success. So we look at what sharpness actually means, how to achieve it reliably, and why it matters. Once you understand that, everything that follows becomes clearer and easily within reach.

From there we move into marking and measuring. Laying out the necessary markings for joinery is often more important than making the cuts themselves. If the line is not in the right place, your joinery will not fit no matter how cleanly you cut it. So we focus on understanding the tolerances required when working with wood, and how to mark with precision and confidence.

Finally, we bring it all together. You'll have a go at cutting a variety of woodworking joints — dovetails and mortise and tenons among them — putting into practice everything we have covered. The goal is not to have produced perfect joints, but to understand the process clearly enough to walk away knowing where to take things next.

By the end of the day, you should leave with a clear sense of your next step — whether that's refining your sharpening technique with the Get Sharp! class, developing your general hand tool skills through a Foundations of Woodworking course, or diving straight into a Project Class.