The Humble, the Essential, the Nailset

Four With Features (photo #2 at left from top to bottom)

Handmade
The rough surface of this Japanese tool still shows the hammer blows of the blacksmith who forged it. The head is narrow and slightly convex, but it will flatten and widen with repeated use. $12, japanwoodworker.com

Knuckle Protector
A cushioned protector guards your fingers so you can concentrate on tip placement. The disk makes it harder to see what you're doing, but you don't have to guess about the tip size: It's clearly engraved in the head. $20 for a set of five (1/32 to 5/32), garrettwade.com

Hammer-Free
To use this spring-loaded, "hammerless" nailset, you hold the bottom half in a tight pincer grip and pull the top half away from the nailhead. Letting go pile-drives the tip into the nail and the nail into the wood—after about a half-dozen hits. Handy when you encounter an unexpected nailhead, say, while painting. $8, noxontools.com

Set and Pull
The square-cut tip sets nails; the Japanese-style nail puller on the opposite end can dig them out, although the puller's claws will damage the surface whenever they extract an embedded nail. $9, sharkcorp.com

Depth Guide: 1/8 inch, recommended depth to set a nail.

Size Guide: Nailsets are sized by tip diameter to match particular nailheads. If you don't know the size of a nailset or a nail, use a tip slightly smaller than the head of the nail you wish to sink.

Finish nail: 4d
Nailset tip: 1/32

Finish nail: 6d
Nailset tip: 232

Finish nail: 8d
Nailset tip: 3/32

Finish nail: 10d
Nailset tip: 4/32

Finish nail: 12d
Nailset tip: 6/32