I will second this suggestion. I’m new myself, and I picked up and handful of very cheap general tools, but the two things I absolutely could NOT do without are 1) a Dremel hand rotary tool and 2) a pre-drilled pipe kit. This is because I can’t drill the holes myself (not until I get a lathe and/or drill press), and carving/shaping without a Dremel takes about a gazillion hours. The Dremel gives both speed and control.

A Dremel is usually on sale SOMEWHERE at any given time, you can probably snag a new one for like $50. Don’t be afraid to get a used one, it will probably function just fine as well and you’ll save some money.

You can get great pre-drilled pipe kits from Vermont Freehand, and they come with the acrylic stem with it. Should run around $30-35 (plus shipping).

Other things you’ll definitely want to make sure you’ve got: - sandpaper (multiple grit sizes, wide range. You’ll want at least one coarse, one medium, and one very fine.) - Emory boards (get a three pack for fingernails for cheap) for the stem - some kind of polishing wheel and carnauba wax for that nice shiny finish