Welcome to the Workshop Companion

Welcome to the Workshop Companion, a web-based reference for wood technology and craftsmanship based on the experience and information that I (Nick Engler) have gathered in my fifty-plus years as a professional craftsman, author, and presenter. Here you’ll find information on woodworking design, tools, techniques, and materials. Or you can explore videos, interviews, demonstrations, plans, books, and other valuable resources.

At present this site is a "work in progress" -- I've posted only a fraction of woodworking information that my team and I are preparing. It will quickly grow to become a complete and dependable reference for the core knowledge you need to be a competent craftsman. For the time being, however, I trust you'll find the information we have posted to date to be interesting and helpful.

Navigating Workshop Companion

Workshop Companion is not one site, but a collection of internet destinations, each of which explores and shares woodworking experiences in a different way:

Banner Clicking the banner at the top of the page will take you back to the homepage, where you can access all the other sections of the site. Use this as your central hub to explore everything Workshop Companion has to offer.

Banner Navigation Explanation

Know-How is a compilation of information from the lifetime I've spent woodworking and the thousands of conversations and experiences that I've had with accomplished craftsmen around the world. This is not just my own woodworking savvy, but also the knowledge and know-how that others have shared with me.

Sharpening Tools

Store gets you to our “bookstore” where we offer a wide range of books, plans, and know-how on woodworking topics (many of which have been written by me).

Store

Tool Recommendations is our “affiliate” site that lists tools and materials from other suppliers that we know and trust. We make a small commission if you buy these tools, which helps support our educational mission.

Tool Recommendations

Videos takes you to our YouTube channel, where you will find videos on a wide range of woodworking topics – techniques, materials, technology, tool reviews, craftsman interviews – all made to inform and entertain.

Videos

About is just me tooting my own horn, a brief overview of my career as a woodworking journalist. I explain how Workshop Companion came to be, our educational mission, and where we hope to go from here.

About

One More Thing

Because Workshop Companion is still under construction, you will sometimes find pages listed that have no links. This is not a mistake; these are "place keepers," and they either serve as reminders or save us time as we build this site. If you happen across a place keeper that you were so hoping was a real page, we apologize for the frustration and are grateful for your patience.

With all good wishes,

Nick's Signiture
Sharpening Tools