Best Woodworking Classes in New York (Reviewed)

​Best Woodworking Class in New York:
Mokuchi Woodworking

Why Did This Class Make Our List?

We were impressed with the array of tools Mokuchi instructors work with. They focus on Japanese woodworking, so they incorporate many traditional Japanese tools, such as a waterstones for sharpening, a mortise and tenon for joinery, etc. 

We also loved that the instructors at Mokuchi take time not just to educate class attendees on the actual woodworking process, but also the Japanese philosophy, history, and culture behind the specific crafts.

What Types of Programs Are Offered?

Mokuchi focuses primarily on woodworking in the Japanese tradition. Attendees pay on a per class basis. There are several introductory classes offered, but most of the classes focus specifically on some aspect of Japanese woodworking, whether it is working with timber framing, lantern making, shoji making, or other focus areas. You can also sign up to get direct, one on one private instruction.

​Best Woodworking Class in NYC:
Bien Hecho Academy

Why Did This Class Make Our List?

The classes at Bien Hecho Academy really emphasize every aspect of the process of creating fine furniture, from start to finish.

And when we say start to finish, we really do mean start to finish – we are talking about taking a piece of wood that is still essentially part of a tree, and taking it all the way up to the point where you could host a fancy dinner party on it.

What Types of Programs Are Offered?

Bien Hecho Academy offers a wide range of different class times for their Introduction to Woodworking class, so if you are on a tight schedule and you want to get going with woodworking, they would be a great option for you. They also have intermediate classes and classes focused on specific projects, such as walnut slabs and working with hand tools. Customers pay on a per class basis.

Why Did This Class Make Our List?

Craftsman Ave has one of the widest tool selections we have seen in the New York metro area. The current list on their website includes a bandsaw, a drill press, a scroll saw, a jig saw, a table saw, power drills, grinders, buffing wheels, polishing wheels, a sandblasting cabinet, an air compressor, and hand tools – and those are just the tools related to woodworking!

What Types of Programs Are Offered?

Craftsman Ave is a maker space that also offers a variety of workshops on a bunch of different craft techniques, not just woodworking.

The workshops are usually between two and three hours in length, and class sizes are intentionally kept smaller so that the students can have more one on one interactions with the instructor. Students pay on a per class basis.

​Best Woodworking Class in Long Island:
​​​​CT Woodwork

Why Did This Class Make Our List?

CT Woodwork really prioritizes using top of the line materials in their classes. They hand pick all of the woods they work with, and make sure that the grain, texture, and color of the wood all match to provide the best aesthetic possible.

They also try to use local woods whenever they can to reduce the impact on our planet and also celebrate the natural beauty of the New York area, which many of us forget about.  

What Types of Programs Are Offered?

CT Woodwork offers a ton of different kinds of classes! They have the basic Intro to Woodworking class, and a series of what they call “101” topic classes, which focus on different aspects of woodworking. They also host technique classes where you can hone a particular technique, and project classes where you can focus on a specific project. Students pay on a per class basis.

​Best Woodworking Class in Rochester NY:
Rochester Woodworkers Society

Why Did This Class Make Our List?

Rochester Woodworkers Society is a collection of woodworkers in the upstate New York area who gather to share their expertise and promote the hobby of working with wood. It is difficult not to be on board with such a noble cause!

They focus more on education around woodworking, offering not just hands-on workshops like most of the other programs on this list, but also lectures and even professional conferences on the subject.

What Types of Programs Are Offered?

Rochester Woodworkers offers a wide range of different workshop options, on both a local and a national level (these guys do not mess around).

Customers can purchase individual memberships to the society, as well as memberships for their families and their businesses. RWS offers discounted membership rates for students. Even if you are not a current member, you can sign up to take their classes, but the rate will be more expensive.

​Best Woodworking Class in Westchester NY:
Bentwood Studio

Why Did This Class Make Our List?

Bentwood Studio really covers the whole woodworking tool gamut! They have a ton of classes specifically focused on the use of different tools. There are classes for table saws, band saws, lathes, mortises, and tenons, not to mention different kinds of carving tools.

We also appreciated that this establishment is run by a team of a father and a son, and that they specifically offer programs aimed at families.

What Types of Programs Are Offered?

Bentwood Studio divides their available classes into four groups: classes primarily based on woodworking instruction, group workshops, classes geared towards children and families, and custom classes. Their instructional classes focus on the use of specific tools, as mentioned above.

Their group workshops are more geared towards completion of projects such as a hope chest. Patrons pay on a per class basis, with custom classes running at a more expensive rate.