Highland Woodworking

The highland woodworking store is the heaven for most woodworkers. They have everything you need from all the little hand tools to up the largest power tools and everything in between. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and is always willing to help you along the way not just in picking out the right tool but how to set up and use it and service in the future.

Spent over an hour here today going through the store slowly. Had been before but a while ago, and been ordering from their catalog for a long time. All the staff were knowledgeable and friendly. Made a big pile of purchases and they shipped them all to my house for me. Worth a visit!!

If you're serious about woodworking this is the best place in Atlanta to shop. Great people working there, knowledgeable and friendly.

This is a great store and I’ve been lucky enough to come down to visit twice from NYC. And I order online from here whenever I can, choosing them over the VERY few equivalents out there. Stores like this need to stick around and I try to do my part to make that happen.

An awesome store, I finally had the chance after all these years to stop in. As a hybrid woodworker (electric/non-electric tools) this place has everything and them some to offer. Their staff are absolutely top notch, down to earth very kind people. More than willing to answer anything I could possibly think of. They had the knowledge of what I was in the market for, and many very useful suggestions for some of my future products. As I live on the western side of the country, this was just a by chance opportunity to stop in while passing through on business travels, in the future I'll have to do online ordering, but that is not a problem as they have definitely earned my business.

I found the saw blade I was looking for cheaper than any place else I'd shopped. It's exactly what I needed and they shipped it fast! Plus they answered all of questions really quickly as well. Good prices, good communication, fast shipping, so what are you waiting for? Go ahead and place an order.

It had been awhile since going to the store and had forgotten how impressive it is. Sydney who helped us, was wonderful. He answered all our questions, gave us sound advice and suggestions, demonstrated and allowed us to try the items we were looking for, absolutely no pressure or rush. Can't wait to go back.

A++++++++ Highland Woodworking just seems to get absolutely EVERYTHING exactly right. First rate across the board. Their articles and how-to's are well produced and crystal clear. Their product selection is the best of all worlds and their staff are beyond helpful, friendly, knowledge and enthusiastic. Their passion for woodworking comes shining through in everything they do. This is what a woodworking business SHOULD be. I can think of a few National chains that could learn a LOT from HW.

Excellent selection. Knowledgeable staff. Its a unique store - Save up, make time, go there, treat yourself, be happy.

I have ordered Woodslicer bandsaw blades from Highland Woodworking Co, in the past, and always had excellent results, but this time they have outdone themselves! I mistakenly ordered the wrong sized blade. I tried to install it and found it was far too short. I was sure I would simply lose the money, but I called them, and not only did they offer me a full refund, but they looked up my previous orders and said "In the past, you always ordered a 133" blade: did you get a different saw?" [No, I just remembered wrong, and ordred a 130" blade...(sigh...)] Then they took an order for the correct blades, told me how to return the blades I had received, and told me where to look online to see how to coil the returned blades as tightly as they had come to me. They were ABSOLUTELY gracious and supportive! The lady who spoke with me suggested that I write the proper length on the inside of the bandsaw door, so I would not forget in the future, and assured me that when the blades arrived at their shop they would credit the money back to my card. I would recommend them to anyone who needs woodworking tools or supplies. Chet Bishop Luthier

There aren't many true woodworking stores in the Atlanta area, either ITP or OTP. This is one. The people who work there are knowledgeable and willing to talk through any woodworking problem. The range of tools and supplies is huge. I worked with Phil who has been there over 30 years and who gave me several solutions to my issue of staining some wood to match an antique piece that I have. And.... did you know shellac comes from bugs!!! I thought it was from tree sap but no, bugs!

The End of the Rainbow for Woodworkers. Friendly, knowledgeable Staff who'll give great advice. If they don't have what you need, they likely know who will. Come browse for the tools you need and see many others you didn't know existed.

I haven't been there in a couple of months but I really can't say enough good things about this store. The staff is top shelf and very keen on educating the customer about the selection of products they have. If your a woodworker or just getting into DYI for your home, yes they have it or can get it, no matter what it is.

Too cool to be believed! I mean come on, how can a place like this exist in 2019? They have everything a woodworker could ever need, and then some. Have you been upstairs? Have you seen the courtyard? This place is amazing! I kept waiting for Nick Offerman to ask me if I needed any help.

Time to update this review. Four stars seemed appropriate four years ago when I wrote the initial review (I've been a customer for much longer) but in the years since, it's apparent that I hold Highland Woodworking (could have sworn it used to be Highland Hardware) in high regard. I'm an avid woodworker, so this is like a toy store for me. They carry most of what I have needed in the way of clamps, tools, bits and other accouterments to the trade/hobby. Highly recommended.

You will get some of the best advice on the planet with regards to woodworking... They have high quality tools. Tools and equipment that are hard to find, etc. Their tool selection with their advice makes for an unbeatable combination of value... I bought a table saw years ago and Highland recommended Board Buddies Anti-Kickback Hold Down rollers... I suspect that these have saved more than one finger. How do you price out that advice? They have answered difficult finishing questions, sold me a really nice razor sharp axe to build a rough hewn fireplace mantle, etc. their advice on the axe, likely saved me at least a minor cut and perhaps a major medical emergency. If you work with wood and have never been to this place, you are missing out on a real experience as well as missing a great resource.

Great store with friendly employees and a wealth of knowledge related to woodworking. Came here looking for some pretty hard to find stuff and not only did they have it, they were VERY helpful in the purchasing process! You can also order over the phone/online for "will call" to pick up in store free of charge. And though the parking lot next door says it costs $5, lower down on the sign it actually says "free while shopping at Highland Woodworking" - just an FYI so you don't make a crazy U-turn like I did!

Neat place. Really nice, helpful folks. High end, high dollar stuff but really nice selection and in the middle of the city.

The penultimate toy store for the woodworker. Carries all the tools of the trade and then some. Knowledgeable staff and just a fun place to spend some time. Great catalog as well

I went to Highland Woodworking to get a new knife and some sharpening equipment. I've only been whittling since November, so I was looking for advice too. When I walked in, I was blown away by how much stuff they had. I felt like a kid in a candy store! After walking around and taking everything in, it was time to get what I came for. I stood in front of the whetstones for a while, pretty overwhelmed by the number of choices. Another customer came up behind me and asked if he could give me some advice. I said of course and he started telling me about the differences between each whetstone. I had done a little research on sharpening blades the other day, but it was really helpful to hear it from someone's personal experience. When I went downstairs to look at the whittling knives, an employee asked if I needed help. He answered every question I had and gave me a lot of good advice. I kind of wish I brought a notebook to write it all down! I ended up getting a smaller Flexcut since I already had a roughing knife and had been using it for everything. When I mentioned sharpening, he asked if I had any other bladed besides Flexcut. I said no, and he gave me a Flexcut SlipStrop kit. Apparently Flexcut blades don't require a whetstone and he saved me a good bit of money. I know a lot of people would've let me take the more expensive item without asking after my projects, and I appreciate his consideration. He explained how to use the kit and another customer cut in with how great of a tool it was. The cashier gave me some advice on how to use the polishing compound. I've only just started whittling and I don't know anyone who does it. I was the only one in that store under 50 and one of the only women, so I felt a little out of place at first. But everyone there, whether they were an employee or a customer, was so welcoming and ready to lift me up. I'd never been around so many woodworkers and I felt so supported here. I'm definitely coming back the next time I need something. Awesome shop full of awesome people!

Last Christmas, I was clueless as to what I should get my son (my ONLY son and the middle of 5 kids). As I am wont to do, I started driving around and ended up here. He likes working with his hands (preferably with cool tools). Not having a clue as to what to get him, I saw that they had classes; I got a gift certificate and a catalog of the classes offered and wrapped it up. We finally went last weekend; it was a turning class (you get a block of cool wood and plop it on a lathe and then turn it and use tools to make something). After a few hours, we had a cool bowl made of spalted maple. The class was small (less than 10 people) and the average age was probably early 60's. The instructor was really good and made the class feel immediately comfortable with his stories and "folksy" approach. Drawbacks? We got a call the night before asking us to get there 15 minutes earlier and the class ended up starting an hour late - ugh. Also, it got hot and there was very little ventilation. I think that's about it!

If you are of the age where you can remember shop class in middle and high school and loved the smell of tools, saw dust and inspiration then this I the place for you. This is the kind of shop that both Norm Abrams and your handy grandfather would frequent. Quality tools, good prices, wonderful service, a bar next door, and plenty of plans, books, and people to inspire your next creation. Are you new to woodworking? Don't worry they have classes to help you learn. They aren't cheap, and I haven't taken one, but I'm sure they are good based on everything I've seen so far. I live about 30 miles from highland woodworking, but I'll be back here frequently.

How is it that this place only has one review before mine? These guys rock! I walked in needing advice on how to solve a couple of wood-finishing problems, and I walked out with a ton of knowledge and some supplies that handily finished the job. (I should have taken before and after photos.) I will certainly look into taking some classes here, and I will certainly look forward to my next visit.

Glad to see there is still great woodworking places left besides the chain stores; and right in the highlands no less. Everyone is super helpful and anything that I need, I know it's there.

Called to place an order for a Festool Domino XL700 and Rotex ro 150. The salesmen was rude and cocky. Wanted to charge me $13.00 shipping for the sand paper for the sander. $2000.00+ order! Really!! I heard Highland Woodworking was a great place to buy tools but that wasn't my experience. I ended up buying form someone else.

I have only been in a couple of times, and called them for advice (live out of town). They are knowledgeable, helpful and the kind of folks that I like to deal with. Excellent.

Highland Hardware is my favorite woodworking store, bar none. I realize that my endorsement may not count for much, given that I'm an academic rather than a woodworker. However, my luthier husband has taken me to well more than my fair share of woodworking stores, and this is the only one where I've ever been tempted to buy things for myself. Whenever we go, he swoons over finger planes and Japanese saws, and I get inspired. "Hey, I could build that planter!" I never actually *do* buy the materials and build the planter, mind you, but Highland Hardware makes me feel like I *could*.

I'm not from Atalanta - in fact, I live nowhere near there. But when I travel to Atlanta I make a point of stopping in at Highland Hardware because, as a woodworker, its just a delight . Its true, you can order almost everything there through their catalog. Also true, you probably would choose to buy commodity items like power tools elsewhere based on price. But if you want to go to a store that appreciates word workers, has a knowledgeable staff and great selection of hand tools and specialty items, you'll find few stores as worthwhile.

I order a Gransfors bruks small Forrest axe on May 12th and at the time of ordering the item was out of stock. I called and talk to someone which I forgot his name but he was very nice and took his time to explain to me that it would take about two weeks for them to ship my item due to the high demand. About a week and a half later I saw a package by my front door. I wasn't expecting it but there it was, my Gransfors bruks axe. I highly recommend Highland Woodworking, they are very professional.

Haven't been myself, been James Taylor gave this place a rave review on one of his 2012 YouTube Christmas videos. He got his axe here...JT loves the place.

Let me begin by saying that I always try to shop at locally owned, small-scale stores. I don't mind paying more for goods sold at these types of stores because the service and knowledge base of the staff is typically better and because a higher % of every dollar stays in the local economy. That said, I will probably never come back to this store. I do projects around the house on a regular basis. I'm not hip with the woodworking jargon. I know very little and am pretty much self-taught at what I do know. I sometimes watch you tube videos before trying something. I'm just somebody who comes up with an idea and tries to figure out how to execute it. Sometimes I want help. Sometimes I don't. But I can tell you that I 100% don't want to feel judged. I think most people don't. I just walked out of Highland Woodworking after having the most frustrating, judgmental interaction with a shop merchant that I have ever had. I simply wanted to buy some stain for some countertops. I just wanted to look at the colors and pick one out. I think 4 different people asked me repeatedly if I needed help. It was like I wasn't supposed to be in the store without someone helping me. Maybe they thought I would steal things? Maybe that's a policy? I felt a little insecure even being in there because things are obviously above my skill level, but, hey, I just want to stain some wood. It's a free country, right? I have a credit card. I'm a citizen of the commodity exchange. Finally, after dodging 3 helpers and explaining to each--in the time span of 2 minutes--that I was just looking for some stain, I gave in when the fourth, most assertive person came up. Fine, I thought, I guess I could use some help. Sure. So he helps me. I guess that's what you call it. He asks me what I'm looking at--which is obvious--I'm looking at stain chips for wood stain colors. Water-based, because that's what I think I want, and frankly, at this point I'm so uncomfortable that I don't even want to shop here anymore, but I'm really not wanting to go to Home Depot. So I'm sort of entertaining his questions and he keeps sort of quizzing my knowledge of how to do the project I'm doing, which makes me really nervous like they won't sell me the stain if I answer the question wrong. Do I have a tack cloth? Well, I should use a microfiber one instead. Do I have a sanding block? Well I should get one. Ok. Ok. Do I have the proper grit sandpaper? Geeze. All I want is stain color and maybe some clear coat. Some of what he said was helpful, but the way it was delivered had just enough of an edge of judgment to it that I kept just wanting to leave the shop empty-handed. Finally, after feeling really overwhelmed and trying not to be rude I started talking about my orbital sander. Why? I don't know. The man made me feel awkward and there was sandpaper on the wall and my default is to talk in awkward situations. That's when I asked him about orbital sanders and that my husband and I were thinking about getting one that was a little more consistent than the one we have. It's true. But I would normally research the juice out of the internet before mentioning it in a store--especially a snooty wood shop store that makes you feel like a criminal for not wanting assistance and an idiot for not knowing your way around the linguistic intricacies of a project involving wood. So he sort of entertains my convo and then points to a sander across the shop and says that's what he uses but that it's really very expensive. And I said we aren't looking to spend a mint, but want something more reliable. He just says "well I guess I can't really assist you with that." And that's it. What!? I mean I guess I should be glad he left me alone, but I just felt sort of insulted like I was definitely not cool enough to talk tools with him, so back off. And then I went to check out and found myself so frustrated by the entire encounter that I decided not to buy half the things I had collected at his suggestion (just the stain and a microfiber cloth) bc I felt sort of insulted and out if place and suddenly thought "why am I shopping here !?!" But I did want that stain and the microfiber cloth seemed useful. So maybe that sounds ridiculous, but I promise you, I was incredibly uncomfortable and felt silently (or maybe not so silently) judged. So they get 2 stars. (One for the fact hat I didn't just walk out and because it wasn't quite a 1 star experience bc I didn't end up with food poisoning, a lawsuit, or a bodily injury). Maybe one day I will be cool enough to adore this place, but right now I just want to leave this parking lot without returning. So I thought I would share that with you. Lest you go here looking for something simple and without having done the reading.

The Highland Hardware is my go to place for the best woodworking tools and information in Atlanta. They have been there for years and are well known for providing durable well made tools. Over the years, they have had a wide range of classes and seminars. You can really upgrade your skills or learn some new ones. I get a lot of help just asking questions when I'm there. They have a small library of how too books as well. You can always get something cheaper today by internet or comparison shopping but I like being able to see the item, ask questions and take it home the same day. I'm a big fan of saving time and moving on with projects. A little bit of Q&A at the store can save me hours of trying to figure it out on my own or worse finding that I just made a poor purchase and am stuck. Several times they have been able to refer me to local suppliers for items they did not carry but their contacts were quick and easy to work with. Again saving me a great deal of time and guesswork. Today I picked up a new Auriou rasp. These are not well known at HomeDepot or Sears. They only other place I find them is on Lie-Nielsen Tools. So at HH, I saved shipping, waiting and my project can move forward. I needed these to smooth off some router patterns for a guitar project. Good luck and best wishes with your work. Go see HH if you're serious about getting great results and if you like to have contacts and friends who can help you make it happen.

After being a loyal customer for almost 20 years, I received a rude awakening during my recent trip. Admittedly, for many years, HH was the only place to go to for knowledgeable people and quality tools, but it seems in recent times, they developed a devil be darned attitude. While looking to pick up some supplies and some parts for my Veritas planes, I noticed that they were 30% higher than the MSRP from Lee Valley direct. I figured that when I mentioned it, they would respond with a simple price match. Instead I received a lecture about how they have to mark-up items and if I didn't like, to go shop somewhere else. In these times of disappearing customer service, the last place I would expect to be treated like this would have been at Highland Hardware. Management didn't seem interested in my treatment either, so I will take their advice and from now on, my money will go somewhere else. We have a number of quality retailers like Peachtree Woodworking, Woodcraft, and Rockler as well as fast and courteous service from a large number of on-line retailers. Good Bye Highland Hardware!!!