WHO WE ARE

We are a New Zealand based woodturning product designers and manufacturing business

Left - Shane Hewitt (Professional Woodturner)
Centre - ​Dan Hewitt (Owner)
​Right - Ken Port (Founder)

Woodcut Tools is an international woodturning product design and manufacturing company from New Zealand. The company is a family owned business which was founded in 1990 by Ken Port who is still a product designer for the business. Our ethos is listening to customers, collaborating with professional turners and taking the time to ensure the product is right. For tuners, by turners.

Woodcut Tools was established from a passion for woodturning.

In the 1970's Woodcut Tool's founder Ken Port owned and operated a souvenir business located near Ninety beach in Northland New Zealand. Ken would often turn many of the wooden souvenirs he would later sell. Frustrated with the woodturning tools available to him Ken resourcefully designed and developed a portfolio of woodturning products primarily designed primarily for his own use and for his network of fellow turners who assisted him with feedback to refine the design. This was Ken’s approach for almost 20 years until he developed the confidence to make his woodturning products available for any turner from 1990.  Ken wanted to make it as easy as possible for customers to enjoy their turning experience, by taking the tool, put to wood and see the shavings!

Today the company is still located in New Zealand and is currently owned by the Hewitt family. Ken remains actively involved in product design for Woodcut Tools.
We are driven by the desire to give customers the best quality products with no compromises. Our approach is to work close with the woodturning community, listening to customers including professional turners and taking the time to ensure the product is right. For turners, by turners.

We never stop asking questions. Questioning of course has no end. Answers lead to decisions, and decisions lead to more questions. But that's how we have always done it. We explore new ideas that may seem risky, impossible or even impractical. We dive in, making our way around obstacles. If questioning leads, ideally to better, then the answer surely must be: why not?

Woodcut Tools breaks away from the current trend of cheap, low-quality products by integrating together a mix of traditional methods and modern technology. An emphasis on true craftmanship and continuous improvement. ​

​Supporting woodturners is user support material including video to enable customers to make the most of their Woodcut product.  We value the role of social media in today's society and are active on all the main channels. This platform enables us to be in contact with our customers providing product support, developments and reviews.  We very much enjoy seeing our products in action and the works which are created with them.

A peek into our factory based in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

We love woodturning!

Dan Hewitt - Woodcut Tools Owner - with a bowl he made using the Bowlsaver Max4