For me the one tool is a 1 1/2 chisel. After that it's the $15 single bevel Stanley hatchet I found at a garage sale. Then the slick. I do find that the more mature I get as a carpenter the fewer tools I use. One of the great things about the world now is it is so much easier to learn about the ways other cultures do things. My goal has always been to find and learn the most efficient method for me. I fully realize that the guy or gal at the other end of the timber may have a completely different and equally viable approach.