Which mfr of turning tools is "Best"

[Hilel Salomon]

Before I pose the main thread, let me point you to the "DEALS" section of Sawmill. I posted the Hartville turning tools sale, and you might be interested in it.
I have scores of turning tools as I'm a consumer addict. I particularly like bowl gouges and here is my take. Remember... I'm am experienced buyer but lousy turner.
I agree with many Creekers that Doug Thompson makes superior tools. I've got about 8 of them and they are all excellent.
I'm also lazy about making my own handles, so I do buy handled gouges as well.
Of these, I prefer Hamlet to all the others. Their top of the line 2060 are outstanding; I have about 20 of them and another 10 or so of the hss ones and there isn't a bad one in the bunch.
Next (now this is my opinion) comes the Crown line. I really like the hss ones, but their pro-line are fine as well. I've got about 22 of them;
Sorby's stuff is very good, but I think that they're often over priced. I have about 10 of them;
Henry Taylor's stuff is uneven, but I have some of their gouges which I like;
Of the other unhandled ones, I have about 6 Oneway gouges and they are excellent, 3 P&N ones are OK.
I also have 3 Glazer tools, but they're skews and I barely know how to use them.
I believe that buying HF, Bodger and the other China brands may be fine. Certainly some of the turners who use them turn out better things than I will ever produce. I learned, however, that instead of buying something that you will outgrow or will wear out quickly, you're better off getting superior tools.
That has been especially true of chucks, but that's another controversy.
I know that many of you will take issue with my opinions but I hope that they will be instructive rather than vitriolic. The whole purpose of this thread is to get newer turners to read some opinions about turning tools.
Incidentally, since I live on social security and a modest pension, I try to get these on sale at the lowest possible price.
Almost every vendor has a period in which the tools are on sale or clearance, and that's the best time to buy and salt them away. I often think about selling some of my stuff off, but buying is more fun than selling, so I always put off the latter.
Remember, only about 120 more days until Christmas or Channukah.
Regards, Hilel.

[Jeff Nicol]

Hilel,

I have lots of tools also from lots of manufacturers, but not the cross section that you have! I just got 2 gouges from Doug Thompson and have to get handles made for them, but I did take the 5/8 "U" gouge and use it with out a handle just to see how it cut. I think I am really going to like it! I agree with you on the Hamlet tools, everyone I have stays sharp and the handles feel great in your hands. I have an Ellsworth signature gouge that is one of my favorites, it holds an edge for a long time and is long and strong! I bought a Pinnacle cryogenic from Woodcraft and for the price they work very nice also. I have a Packard 1/2" standard grind bowl gouge that was my first gouge and it is one of my most used for the bottom of deep bowls. I have 2 Benjamins Best gouges that I use a lot for roughing and they work fine, but loose their edge fast. When I first got them I liked them fine, but once I got the Ellsworth gouge it was like night and day! I think it really comes down to handles and how they are sharpened and the addressing of the wood by each turner to how they decide what is best for them, but there is no substitute for good steel when starting to choose a tool!

Thanks for the thread as we all love to talk tools!

Jeff

[Dave Bureau]

I would recommended checking out Hannes tool. I have 4 handles . very nice design, lead shot filled. He uses the Thompson steel so they will fit your Thompsons. http://hannestool.com

[Ted Evans]

Hilel, thanks for sharing your thoughts on all the different manufacturers, I found it very interesting and informative.

Bear

[Jim Becker]

There is no "best", IMHO, but there are great choices available for high quality, thoughtfully designed turning tools available to all of us. The reason I say "no best" is that we are all different in how we use our tools and relative to our expectations. The best tool for "me" is the Ellsworth gouge...and I have both the regular metal and the powdered metal versions. That might not be your "best"...

It's also relevant to how a particular tool is used; frequently or for utility. I have a lot of Sorby, Crown and Packard tools in my rack, many that didn't cost a lot but do what they need to do when they are asked to do it.

[Scott Conners]

I agree 100% about buying quality tools. I've learned the hard way over and over, that quality almost always is worth the price.

I'm excited for Stuart Batty's new line of tools. He discussed them at a recent demo - they are using a robotic factory to put out absolute top of the line tools for "standard" tool prices. Things like 4 different alloys in the blades, using the best powder metals, and composite handles. Using creep grinding to get polished tool surfaces and high output. All for the price of a Sorby. They are supposed to be launching sometime this fall.

[David Walser]

... I'm excited for Stuart Batty's new line of tools. ... They are supposed to be launching sometime this fall.

We'll see. He discussed his new line of tools at a demo he did for our club and said the tools would be available later that year. The demo was more than two years ago. Hope he, and all the suppliers, do well.

[Gary Max]

Heck---you need to send about half those tools to me---I would put them to use.
You would never miss them.

[John Peck]

For your information, Henry Taylor owns Hamlet. Check their web sites. They both have the same address in Sheffield, England:

The Forge
Peacock Estate
Livesey Street
Sheffield S6 2BL
England (or United Kingdom on the Hamlet web site)

[Ryan Baker]

I've never had any quality complaints with my Henry Taylor tools, but I don't have that many of them. My Thompson tools are my main ones. I also have a bunch of Crown HSS tools that, while inexpensive, work very nicely. Sorby's are nice. I have a bunch of WoodRiver tools that work quite well at a low price. My Benjamin's Best tools are completely underwhelming. Lots of assorted other tools from various sources.

Sorby tools take a lot of heat for being overpriced. Their regular prices certainly tend toward the high end. I find that it is usually pretty easy to find big discounts on them, however, which gets the prices down into a competitive range with most similar options. I can say that I have been completely happy with every Sorby tool I have.

[Harlan Coverdale]

Hilil, no disrespect intended at all, but what in the world to you do with 65+ gouges? I think I have maybe 10, and only use 5 or 6 of them regularly. I can understand if you simply like collecting gouges, but I don't want the newbies to get the idea that they need to have that kind of arsenal in order to turn wood.

[RL Johnson]

He who dies with the most tools wins. It looks like we all have a ways to go to even catch up.
Well said Hilel, I couldn't have said it better. Many of the tools manufactures fill specialized nitches and what I turn may not be what you want to turn and the tools utilization could be totally different. If a tool looks like a bargin and it fits your needs, buy it no matter who makes it.

[Nathan Hawkes]

I like this question. It forces you to think about what makes a tool good, and what makes one better than another. I think several people have touched on the fact that one tool may work better for one person than another. I really like my new "Bill Grumbine" series 5/8" Thompson gouge, which has an extra-long shank for turning beyond the tool rest. I haven't decided yet on whether it holds an edge as well as the 2060 Packard/Hamlet steel, but it does something that no 2060 or 2030 PM steel can; it has the length I need for rough turning deep bowls. With the extra long handle I turned for it, its really steady(and over 3 feet long). I have it ground in a very aggressive 40deg. front bevel, which some people really don't like, but that works the best for ME. I have another "best" gouge that happens to be a PM crown (it was bought as "bowl gouge" and ground to a roughly Ellsworth shape) with a pretty open "U" shaped flute, at 60deg. front bevel, that use for refining cuts, and a P&N 5/8 "supagouge" that I ground back to a traditional grind for shear finish cuts.
Things like flute shape and shank length make as much impact on how a gouge performs for you as how long you can go without sharpening. Just my $0.02

[Ryan Baker]

Hilil, no disrespect intended at all, but what in the world to you do with 65+ gouges?

Wait till you hear how many chucks he has!