Welcome Mike. It is very nice working with hand tools for several good reasons:
- Almost no dust except when sanding.
- Quiet and no need to wear a dust mask and hearing protection.
- Does not require a large shop.
- Very small investment compared to buying machine tools.
- Easy to keep the shop clean without dust extraction, air filters, etc.
- No real disadvantages for small projects.
Of course you will need the right stuff to keep your edge tools sharp and properly honed.
Mike, an American living in Norway