About Us
WOODSMITH is the premier retail destination, renowned for offering the world's finest woodcraft tools, books and devices. Our small team of knowledgeable and passionate woodworkers provide expert advice and five-star rated customer service to woodworkers worldwide.
We take pride in selling over 75 leading international brands, with new products added daily. With worldwide shipping to over 100 countries, our online store provides access to our enviable collection of woodcraft tools, books and devices.
Established in 2011, we operate from a walk-in store in Whitley Bay, in the north east of England, where we showcase our exceptional collection of woodcraft brands. Our journey started over 25 years ago when Maurice Pyle first discovered the art of green woodworking.
Our passion for sharing the joy of working with greenwood and coppice material with others is what drives us. Our exceptional collection of woodcraft tools, devices, and books are a testament to our commitment to offering the best of the best.
We don't claim to be the biggest supplier of wood working tools, but we believe we supply the best quality range of tools for green woodworking and small scale forestry.
Maurice Pyle: Woodland Craftsman
With a background in youth training, personal development, and outdoor education, Maurice found joy in working with green, freshly harvested wood, using simple hand tools to create beautiful and functional items from natural materials.
With a wealth of experience earned through trial and error, Maurice honed his skills by working alongside iconic craftsmen such as Coppice Merchant Bill Hogarth. Organising woodcraft courses for the local community in Gateshead, later paved the way for WOODSMITH's later mission to inspire people from all backgrounds to get involved with woodlands and woodcraft.
Maurice recruited other well-known woodland craftsmen as tutors such as swill basket maker Owen Jones and Swedish craftsman Wille Sundqvist, who ran both spoons and bowl-making courses at Maurice’s first workshop in County Durham in 2002. This commitment to excellence in craft extends to all manner of one-off projects, from crafting riven oak fencing for the National Trust's Lindisfarne Castle and English Heritage's Belsay Estate to creating large-scale rustic features for schools.
Since 2006, in addition to woodcraft courses, WOODSMITH has been providing some of the finest specialist green woodworking tools, often hand-made, books, and devices from around the world, carefully selected based on extensive practical experience.
WOODSMITH has a rich in-depth knowledge of traditional woodland management and woodcraft, working as a trusted partner for the The National Trust, The Woodland Trust, local authorities, and other commercial enterprises.
In 2007, we took our passion for woodcraft to new heights by purchasing an idyllic wooden house and woodland in the stunning mountains of eastern Norway. This move allowed us to immerse ourselves in old Nordic culture, with a particular emphasis on woodcraft, farming, forestry, food and wildlife.
We immediately fell in love with the values and traditions of Scandinavian culture, and have successfully run one - two week-long courses every August since 2008 at our house Sørli in Øversjødalen. Our goal is to share the joy and beauty of woodcraft with learners from all backgrounds, helping them to connect with nature and their creative potential.