Workwear for joiners and carpenters: What woodworkers really need

• Work trousers for joiners need plenty of room to move, sturdy polyamide reinforcements and a well-designed pocket layout for a folding rule, pencil and set square.
• S3/S7 safety shoes with a closed-toe design provide protection against wood dust and shavings getting in.
• When using rotating machinery (e.g. circular saws, routers and wood-turning lathes), the following applies without exception: No gloves.
• Eye and ear protection are compulsory when using many machines in the joinery workshop – Strauss offers special safety glasses, including models for people who wear spectacles, as well as hearing protectors for different frequencies and noise levels.
• Workwear, safety shoes, PPE and tools: Strauss supplies all of this as a one-stop shop from one selection.

Workshop, assembly, building site – in the timber trade, you often change location and task several times a day. Workwear for carpenters provides optimum support in day-to-day work and is characterised above all by the following features:

• Plenty of freedom to move: Bending down, kneeling and lifting things above the head are an integral part of everyday working life. Trousers and tops must not be too tight or constricting. Stretch panels in the right places are not a comfort feature, but a necessity.
• Sturdy construction: Rough wooden surfaces, sharp edges and tools can quickly wear down weak seams. Polyamide reinforcements at the knees and seat area are designed to withstand these stresses over the long term.
• Well-designed pockets: Folding rule, pencil, set square, screws – everything needs to be within easy reach without falling out when you bend down. With the right pockets, everything is always close at hand – because if you’re constantly searching for things, you waste time and lose concentration.
• Close-fitting cut: Loose-fitting tops and open cuffs are dangerous around rotating machinery. Tight-fitting sleeves with cuffs reduce the risk of injury – this applies to long-sleeved shirts as well as jackets.

Bending, kneeling and standing for long periods – work trousers are the item of clothing that comes under the most strain in the carpentry trade. That’s what matters:

• Pocket structure: A good pair of carpenter’s trousers has a ruler pocket, a thigh pocket for small items and a nail pouch. The pockets must be positioned so that the contents do not fall out when you bend down and the handle automatically ends up in the right place.
• Knee area: Polyamide reinforcements at the knees make these work trousers particularly hard-wearing – they hold up well even when regularly in contact with rough wooden surfaces. Anyone who also spends a lot of time working on the floor – for example, when laying parquet flooring or fitting furniture close to the floor – will benefit from trousers with knee pad pockets for external knee pads.
• Freedom to move: Stretch panels allow for a full range of movement – particularly during assembly work, where frequent climbing up and down, as well as bending and lifting, are required.
• Material: A high-quality cotton blend is selected by many joiners – comfortable to wear and hard-wearing for everyday use. For the summer, there are lighter versions that with better air-permeability and still offer sufficient strength.

Well-equipped with Strauss

The work trousers e.s.motion 2020 meet these requirements perfectly: Ergonomic cut, Flexbelt® waistband with side stretch, zipped ventilation panels, well-designed pockets, knee pad pockets and CORDURA® reinforcements. In summer, the shorts e.s.motion 2020 and the 3/4 length trousers e.s.motion 2020 stand out for their sturdy yet airy design.

The collection offers a wide range of colours and sizes, as well as various styles suitable for female joiners, such as the work trousers e.s.motion 2020.

Joiners mainly work indoors – the workshop is rarely as cold as a building site in January. Nevertheless, conditions are changing: Outdoor installation work, draughty building shells, fluctuating temperatures between the workshop and the outdoors. There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all jacket. What works is the onion principle: lightweight layers that can be mixed and matched.

• Shirts and longsleeves form the base layer – preferably breathable ones. Important: Above all, sleeves must be close-fitting, as loose or open cuffs can pose a hazard on rotating machinery.
• Sweatshirts and troyers are the classic mid-layer – warm, comfortable and allowing plenty of freedom to move. Fabrics such as fleece ensure the right level of thermal regulation, even when you start to sweat. The following applies to circular saws, routers and wood-turning lathes: No loose, frayed fabric that could get caught in the machinery.
• Softshell jackets are the right choice to select for cold winter workshops, assembly work and outdoor assignments. They are water-repellent, windproof and yet breathable – and they hardly restrict your freedom to move at all. An extended back provides protection when bending down and lifting.
• Rain jackets and Winter jackets aren’t usually the first thing on most carpenters’ minds when it comes to workwear – but they’re essential for installation work in bad weather or on open building sites.

Anyone who spends their days in the workshop will be familiar with this: Nails on the floor, falling workpieces, wood shavings getting everywhere. Safety shoes for joiners have to cope with this – whilst remaining just as comfortable after eight hours as they were at the start of the working day.

Both classes comply with EN ISO 20345 and offer toe protection, puncture resistance and energy absorption in the heel. S3 are water-repellent and therefore also suitable for outdoor work and construction sites. S7 comply with the latest EN standard and are additionally waterproof. In addition to the tried-and-tested steel mid-soles, flexible and equally safe alternatives made from textile materials are also used. This makes the shoes noticeably lighter without compromising on protection.

You can tell which puncture protection has been used simply by looking at the name of the shoe:

By the way: Anyone who spends most of their time indoors and does not require weather protection can opt for the protection class S1P: S1P-compliant models are breathable and offer good cushioning as well as toe protection and puncture resistance.

In almost no other trade do as many particles get into your shoes as in woodworking. Sawdust, sanding dust, very fine wood dust – an open tongue lets all of this through, which leads to pressure marks and damages the shoe from the inside. Models with a closed-loop design have a clear advantage here.

Strauss also offers safety shoes in extra-wide fits – ideal for anyone who finds standard lasts uncomfortable.

Carpenters are on their feet all day. A cushioned midsole and a well-shaped insole relieve pressure on the feet and joints. This is how they ensure the necessary comfort. Note for floor fitters: Anyone who works on freshly laid floors should ensure their shoe soles do not leave a chalky residue – this prevents them from leaving streaks or marks on the new flooring.

Machinery, dust, noise – the workshop places clear demands on the personal protective equipment used by joiners. The type of PPE that is appropriate depends on the task. Three areas are particularly relevant to a carpenter’s day-to-day work.

The type of protective gloves that must be worn in a joinery workshop is determined by the workplace risk assessment – as stipulated by the BGHM (Wood and Metal Workers’ Trade Association). The choice depends on the specific task: grip, finger dexterity and the relevant hazards (mechanical, chemical, thermal) determine which model to select. No single glove is suitable for all tasks.

For general workshop tasks – sanding, hand planing, moving materials – the e.s. Nitrile gloves evertouch allseasons are a tried-and-tested selection: easy to grip, robust and suitable for a wide range of tasks.

Anyone who regularly works with vibrating tools, such as jigsaws, grinders or impact drills, will benefit from the e.s. Nitrile gloves VibraSafe. They dampen vibrations and relieve strain on the hands and joints throughout the working day.

Important: On rotating machinery – circular saws, routers, wood-turning lathes – gloves must not be worn. Rotating parts can catch on gloves, causing serious injury.

The BGHM stipulates that eye protection must be worn when carrying out machining work – this applies to circular saws as well as grinders and routers. Wood shavings and splinters fly off quickly, and fine sanding dust settles in a matter of seconds. Suitable glasses provide reliable protection in this situation.

Strauss offers safety glasses in its selection, which cater to a variety of needs and provide optimum protection in the joinery workshop:

• e.s. Loras safety glasses/over-goggles: are worn directly over your glasses – no need to change spectacles; simply put it on over them and carry on working.
• e.s. Araki safety glasses: Designed for prescription lenses – can be used as fully-fledged safety glasses without the need for a second pair of glasses.
• e.s. Finlay safety glasses: with interchangeable lenses – for anyone who moves between the workshop and outdoor work and needs a different tint depending on the light conditions.

Circular saws, planers and sanders produce constant noise which, without protection, can lead to permanent hearing damage. Ear protection is compulsory from 85 dB(A) – this level is quickly reached in a joiner’s workshop.

Strauss offers protector cups that are clearly categorised according to noise level:

• e.s. Protector cups 1H (SNR 26 dB): For low-level noise – suitable for manual work, sanding or in areas where machinery is used occasionally; long ear cups, low weight, comfortable even when worn for long periods.
• e.s. Protector cups 2H (SNR 30 dB): For medium to high noise levels – select this option for regular workshop use with a circular saw, planer or sander.
• e.s. Protector cups 3H (SNR 33 dB): for very loud, continuous noise – when several machines are running at the same time or the noise level on the building site or in the workshop is consistently high. Signals and speech remain audible despite significant attenuation.

Anyone who goes out on site knows that looking for tools takes time. The STRAUSSbox system ensures a structured system of organisation – not with a single box, but with a modular system that can be adapted to your own daily work routine.

The STRAUSS boxes are available in various sizes – from super-compact to extra-spacious. They can be stacked, opened as a set (without having to remove the top boxes) and are compatible with metaBOXES and the Makita MakPac system. By combining several boxes, you can create a mobile, tidy workspace right at your workstation.

For transport, the STRAUSSbox tool bags are a complementary, versatile option: Compartments in various sizes, magnetic fastenings that can be opened with just one hand – and the option to attach additional boxes weighing up to 25 kg.

The Woodworking set offers a structured introduction to joinery: A coordinated set of hand tools for woodworking professions, ready to use straight out of the box.

Anyone who needs to provide workwear and PPE for several staff members in a joinery workshop will benefit from ordering everything from a single supplier – work trousers, tops, jackets, safety shoes, PPE and tools in a single order and on a single invoice. Strauss supplies comprehensive features for joinery businesses of all sizes:

• 98% stock availability: Reorders with no waiting times; even for last-minute requirements
• Delivery within 2–4 working days: even for bulk orders for entire teams
• Sizes from XS to 8XL: including ladies' and men’s styles, as well as long and short sizes
• Logo service & CI Configurator MYDESIGN: Customise garments with a company logo, even for small businesses
• Long-term availability of the collection: The same products can be reordered over a long period; no need for time-consuming searches when replacements are required
• Volume discounts available even for small quantities: Scale prices are also worthwhile for smaller teams.

Larger businesses can access MyShop – a customised B2B online shop that can be integrated into existing ERP systems. It offers a carefully curated selection of products, direct corporate branding and flexible role allocation for budgets and authorisations.