This Maker Recommends...
Anne Briggs, of Anne of All Trades is a hand tool aficionado and a purist woodworker, at heart. Anne gives us a behind-the-scenes look into what’s always on her woodworking workbench, including the tools she regularly needs and random things that don’t quite belong there!
Learn more about this maker and see behind-the-scenes of Anne’s workshop:
Who are you and what do you make?
"I'm Anne of All Trades and I make fine furniture, blacksmithing and fabrication projects and run a 4 acre farm. I like to focus on preserving historic traditions and utilizing antiquated techniques in the form of old tools and joinery in the workshop and in the form of longterm stewardship with regard to soil care, forest management, and animal husbandry on the farm. I make beautiful, useful objects intended to last several lifetimes."
Learn more about Anne in the Miniviews series maker interview, here.
What tools are always nearby?
- Bevel Up Jack Plane
- Router Plane
- Violin Plane
- Butt Chisel
- Pocket Knife
- 5" Pliers
- Battery powered drill/driver
- Battery powered chainsaw
- DSLR Camera
What’s on your workbench that doesn’t exactly belong there?
- Donkey Drool (literal drool from homestead donkeys)
- Water Bottle
- Cell Phone
What’s one woodworking tool you couldn't do without? Why?
"I couldn't do without my violin maker's plane. It comes in handy for literally every job- getting into a tight corner here, chamfering a quick edge there, truing a spoon handle. It's beautiful, it's cute, and it's usually duller than it should be because I use it constantly."
What are your favorite phone apps?
"The only apps I use on my phone are: email, FaceTime, Timehop, Instagram and YouTube."
Thank you for reading this inaugural, first installment of the “This Maker Recommends…” tool and supply recommendations series with Anne Briggs. Do you have any experience with some of the woodworking tools listed? Comment below or join in on the conversation on social media.
Bonus: Gear up! Check out some of the woodworking workwear and gear that Anne wears and recommends: Bouton safety eyewear, Naketano Hoodie (brand appears to have shut down), and Carolina logger boots.
"When it comes to tools... Buy one, and buy the best you can afford, and then use the hell out of it." — Anne Briggs, Maker Miniviews series - No. 17
