Welcome!
Hi, my name is Arthur. I am the founder and editor of WoodsmithSpirit.com. I created this site to provide helpful woodworking advice and unbiased reviews of power tools.
I was introduced to woodworking by my late grandfather who owned a small woodworking shop in his barn. I was 11 years old when I first picked up my grandfather’s Stanley No. 5-½ plane and started smoothing a slab of oak that would ultimately become a tabletop.
Working with only hand tools is fun, but I soon realized that having some basic power tools could make my hobby way more enjoyable. One of the first power tools I bought was a circular saw. A random orbital sander from Makita and a benchtop table saw followed soon after.
Choosing the best tools proved to be rather challenging, considering how many different brands and options there are in today’s marketplace.
Personally, if I am paying for something, I want to be dead sure that I’m not being ripped off. When buying my tools, I sifted through hundreds of power tool reviews on Amazon, took part in many online discussions, and read dozens of product reviews online to find tools that offer the best balance of price and quality.
I personally found that most of the power tool reviews online are written by people who hide behind fake personas and pretend to be experts. Their reviews are usually biased towards promoting the most expensive products. I realized there was a niche for honest reviews of woodworking tools. That’s when the idea of creating this site was born.
How I create content
I don’t pretend to be an expert, but I spend hours researching every single product that goes into my buying guides.
I always try to get direct access to the items discussed in the reviews. When that is not possible I have to have to rely on feedback from actual owners and verified buyers of these items. I also try to get information about the reviewed items from local stores.
All of the articles on this site are written or planned and curated by me. I do sometimes use the help of freelance writers, but nothing goes online without my review and approval. I do my best to maintain a high level of quality and accuracy in all articles.
Please note that I am not sponsored by any brands. I want to make sure that all the information on this blog is unbiased and tailored to help you make your own informed buying decisions.
Why follow us?
You will enjoy this blog if:
- You are a just starting out and you want to improve your woodworking knowledge and skills
- You want to feel comfortable building projects knowing that the information you find here is accurate
- You want to learn about tools from actual customer experience and verified buyer feedback and not commercial sales pages or biased, sponsored reviews.
The Team
David Yeoman – Contributor
David Yeoman became a freelance writer in 2020 following a 40-year career in aviation, construction, engineering, and business management. A native English speaker, David’s passion is the English language and making complex topics understandable for readers.
Areas of writing interest
- Technical articles on Finance, Investment, Aviation, Manufacturing, Automation, Engineering, and Maintenance
- Blog articles on Power Tools, Woodworking, Metalworking Photography, and Flying.
- Programming tutorials for Python and PostgreSQL
- Business documents including Strategy Documents, Manuals, Bids, Tenders, and RFPs
Life experience
David started flying gliders at 16 years of age, becoming a private pilot at 18. He now flies twin-engined aircraft for enjoyment and holds a private instrument rating. Trade qualified, David’s passion is working with his hands, creating from wood and metal, and he cannot envisage a world without a workshop. Having managed businesses throughout his career, David and his wife started their own business in 2020, working freelance from home, offering business consultancy, technical writing services, and administrative and secretarial support.
Education
David has an MBA in Technology from Deakin University. He is also a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer.
Shailpik Biswas – Contributor
Hi, my name is Shailpik, and I am a woodworker and multidisciplinary artist. My passion is wood carving. I enjoy learning new skills and write about them in the process.
My earliest memory of woodworking was helping my grandfather fix things around the house. My duties included chatting and fiddling with his tools. He taught me how to angle, how to drill, and how to solder. I don’t eat fish anymore but here I am decades later, working with my drills and soldering iron.
In 2014, I had a design in my head that simply wouldn’t go away. This is always a good sign. I got a few basic tools together and started building.
Years later, I’m still building. I find myself at the crossroads of woodcarving and light design. It’s getting more exciting every day and I see no end anywhere on the horizon.
On this website, I get into the art of carving and working wood into all things fantastic.