Reddit reviews Thor - 712R Soft And Hard Faced Hammer Wood Handle 650G

If you go hand tools, you can start with Rennaissance Woodworker’s minimum tool list. You can go with a lot of vintage tools to save money, but for fun I priced out all new tools of good quality. Many tools were recommended here. I've added a workbench and some reference books and videos too.

MINIMUM TOOL LIST

$169 Jack Plane Woodriver
$125 Hand Saw backless saw ~26″ in length
$28, $30, $35 - 1/4, 3/8, and 1″ chisels Ashley Isles MK2
$79 Back Saw Veritas Crosscut Carcasse
$12 Coping Saw Olson
$18 Marking Gauge Beech Marking Guage
$12 Square IRWIN Combination
$149 Some kind of sharpening set up (stones, sandpaper, whatever) Norton Waterstone Woodworker Package

$592 Subtotal

NICE TO HAVE

$13 Honing guide Eclipse style
$13 Marking knife Veritas
$22 Mallet Thor
$15 Book to learn from Essential Woodworker Book

$63 Subtotal

WORKBENCH

$27 Workbench plans Naked Woodworker
$123 Materials for Naked Woodworker, costs from Mike Siemsen
$35 Holdfasts Gramercy

$185 Subtotal

GRAND TOTAL

$840

-The black case is Veritas' Cabinetmaker's Installation Kit
http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=71776&cat=1,41504
It includes:
-Low-Angle Jack Plane w/ 2 blades
-3 Butt chisels
-Flush-Cut saw
-2 Japanese Milled-Tooth files (flat and half-round)

The shoulder plane is Veritas Medium shoulder plane
http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,41182,41192,48430&p=48430

Hammer is Thor with soft and hard face
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001P0YF0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A set of 4 Veritas Super-Hard milled scrapers
http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=32670&cat=1,310,41069

And last is Rockler quick release front vise
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001RH16O4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It works. Both Paul Sellers and Richard Maguire use this guy: https://smile.amazon.com/Thor-712R-Faced-Hammer-Handle/dp/B0001P0YF0 (as do I, but I don't have their credentials)

From left to right, top to bottom:

• Brace brace and bit (hand drill)
  
• Stanley number 4 1/2 plane
  
• Mortise Gauge
  
• Marking Gauge
  
• Flat file
  
• Old Paramo Saw
  
• Green stick of buffing compound
  
• Can with an oil soaked rag in it
  
• Am Tech 45mm Panel Hammer
  
• Thor Soft Faced Hammer
  
• Cheap Aldi chisels
  
• Stanley Knife
  
• Combination square

Hi I'm searching for a hammer/mallet type instrument of destruction...that isn't all that destructive. I saw these Japanese chisel hammers people were apparently also using on planes and some dual sided hammers with a soft and a harder side which made me wonder if there was one that would work on both wood and metal without damaging either one. Specifically I hope to use it to adjust a wooden plane requiring me to hit both metal and wood. I'm trying not to spend a lot of money to start out with so I want to avoid things that go into the realm of luxury tools.

cheaper dual sided hammer without replaceable ends

dual sided hammer with replaceable ends and higher price

japanese steel hammer (flat/domed ends)

I bought mine on Amazon.

In most of my work, I use this:

https://www.amazon.com/Thor-712R-Faced-Hammer-Handle/dp/B0001P0YF0

However, if I am doing something like a bed or large table with long, wide, and deep mortises (e.g. 4-6” long, 1/2-3/4” wide, 1.5-2” deep, times 8), I will switch to a larger wooden joiners mallet. My wrist thanks me the next day.