These are sites on Medieval Woodworking or related topics.

Note: Other medieval woodworking resources can be found on my Research page.

• Fellow Medieval Woodworkers
  • http://www.medievalwoodworking.com/ - This is a very comprehensive site on Medieval and Renaissance woodworking.  I haven't had time to review it in depth yet.
  • Dan the MasterJoyner A commercial site with examples of hand-crafted medieval furniture.
  • Charles Oakley's Plans - Assorted plans for medieval furniture.
  • Tom Rettie's Home Page - Currently turning, but other resources as well.
  • Another Era Lutherie - Craig Pierpont is a craftsman I know personally, in the context of my medieval re-creation hobbies. When Craig shows up, the rest of us quietly slide our own efforts behind the mead barrel and hope that nobody notices. His harps are gorgeous, his joinery superb, and his prices out of my reach. If you're in the market for a harp that will last for generations, check him out.
  • Lord Rhys - Rhys, like myself, favors furniture, particularly camp furniture. His site has a number of useful class handouts and plans that look very good.
• Shopping - Where to Buy Tools and Materials
  • OldTools.co.uk - (5/17/2006) UK suppliers of quality old antique woodworking tools and collectables. I've not done business with this crew, but they contacted me asking for a link. And I'm a sucker for flattery. Having not actually bought anything, I'm not in a position to comment on quality of service or goods, but I can offer a web site review. This company has a very attractive web site that is easy to navigate. Thier prices are premium, but appear to be fair. They have a wide selection of antique tools that appear to be in very good condition. A bottom-feeder like myself would not find a lot to purchase there, unless they had the one tool I absolutely HAD to have. I recommend this vendor for meeting specific needs in a timely manner, when you don't have time to search the bottom of boxes as swap meets to find what you need for that project due next month. Visitors from the eastern side of the Atlantic should remember that shipping will add a substantial amount to the price, and those prices are in pounds, not dollars. Anyone who has had customer experiences with OldTools.co.uk is invited to contact me for an e-mail interview and we will add the results to this entry.
  • Historic Enterprises - This is a new discover for me (3/29/2006) and I'm looking forward to exploring what they have to offer.
  • Woodcraft Catalog - Woodcraft straddles the line between Neanderthals and Normites, offering both power tools and hand tools.
  • Rockler Tools - Rockler tools specializes in power tools. They carry a wide variety of name brands and I've never heard anyone complain about the service they offer.
  • Garrett Wade - Garret Wade is a tool vendor with a well-established reputation. I have never dealt with them myself, but they seem to offer name-brand hand tools at competitive prices.
  • Van Dykes Restorers - These guys are a little pricey, but they have hinges, handles, and even old-fashioned locks. If you're in a hurry, it can beat making them yourself.
  • Lee Valley Hardware - Check out the hardware section for both fake "hand made" hardware and actual hand-made hardware at very competitive prices.
  • Highland Hardware - I find these guys to have premium prices, but they have a wide variety of stock and a good reputation among some wood crafters. I've not done business with them myself, so you will have to form your own opinion.
  • Dick Feine Werkzeuge - As you might have guessed, these guys are not from around these parts. I've not done business with them yet, but they look to have both new and re-conditioned hand tools. Be careful: the prices are in Euros, not dollars. Oh, and there's a small button in the lower right-hand corner that will translate the site, if not the prices, into English for you
  • www.ebay.com - I've bought most of my hand tools either in-person or on eBay. I've gotten some lemons, and I've gotten some good bargains. You take chances on eBay, even when you deal with reputable sellers. You just can't be sure if you can't seethe merchandise. Caveat emptor. Oh, and if you shop on www.ebay.co.uk, beware the shipping. I bought a brace and bit set at a real bargain one time. And then spent four times that shipping it over from Yorkshire. Caveat emptor, indeed.
  • Tools for Self Reliance - This is a charity group over in the UK that provides hand-tools for artisans and farmers in Africa. A sort of grass-roots economic aid. They also buy a quantity of medieval tools made new from smiths in Tanzania. I have never done business with them. Please let me know what you discover.
  • Gransfors Bruks is a Swedish company that is reputed by some to make the best axes in the world today. Again, I do not own a Gransfors Bruks tool, but there is something to be said for a company that has the smith stamp his personal initials on every tool he makes, where they will remain, always and forever.
  • Osborne Wood - This gentleman contacted me asking for a link exchange. I've found his site to be interesting and informative. Online catalog of wood components. Stock and custom turnings for your project!
• Other Medieval or Craft-Related Links
  • http://www.adelphi.edu/sbloch/ma/tents/kuijt.article/ - This is an article on pavilions without perimeter poles. 
  • Early English Books Online - This is a compilation of thousands and thousands of early English manuscripts, both in original format, and keyed-in text versions.
  • Renascence Editions - Renascence Editions places works printed in English between the years 1477 and 1799 online. These texts are not represented by the publisher as scholarly editions in the peer-reviewed sense and are made available to the public for nonprofit purposes only.
  • The British Library - This is an on-line compilation of hundreds of medieval manuscripts hosted by the British Library
  • Howard Ruttan - Howard has eaten slept, lived, and breathed sawdust (and shavings) for over 20 years. His shop, like most of us, is a combination of power and hand-tools, and he has a number of on-line resources.
  • Title: My Woodworking Expert - Info on Tools, Plans, Project, Patterns
    Description: Info on Wood Working Plans, Projects, & Patterns ... Hand
    Tool, Power Tools, & Equipment Reviews
  • Leatherwood - This site's main point is that they are contractors who specialize in restoring historic building using techniques appropriate to the building and the period. But they also sell vintage wood reclaimed from old buildings.