Easy wood tools ...... anything that compares ?

[Jordan Gilbert]

I have always had a problem sharpening tools and getting them perfect and consistent . I have henry taylor tools currently and are really nice but when I saw these easy wood tools in woodcraft I was wowed . The round carbide tip is genius for doing perfect bowls and goblets , the rougher looks perfect as well it really burns through the wood like butter . I saw 100.00 and was like ok I'll buy all 3 of them the detailer ,rougher , and finisher then I noticed that was for the minis ....... The full size are 130.00-140.00 my question is are there any tools similar ? Or are these the best of the best ? After seeing these work I want them badly That 130.00 is a little crazy when I thought they were a 100 a piece I thought it was high but there us made and nice so I could justify it but 420.00 plus tax for 3 tools is kinda nutty imo . I am dead set on carbide for sure though I was going to buy a new 8 set of sorbys but the carbide really intrigue me .

[Fred Belknap]

Jordan I have held back from purchasing these for the same reason. I'm thinking of getting the mini to see if it is as good as everyone says they are.

[kevin nee]

I bought the Hunter tool a few years before the Easy Tools came out.
They are very aggresive. While on the learning curve, a catch can be 3/8 deep.
Once you get the hang of it they work very well. Nice if you like an undercut rim.
Never tried the Easy tools. GOOD LUCK!

[Doug W Swanson]

Since you have sticker shock like I did, I just bought the replacement cutters and made my own. Just buy the cutter, some key stock and make your own handle. If you do an internet search (or even SMC) you can find a tutorial....

I've got about $20 invested in mine....

[Jeff Hamilton Jr.]

Take a look at http://www.woodchuck-tools.com/. I have 3 of his tools and 2 EW tools. The EW's are alot "prettier," but Ken's do the job just as well for about 3/4 the price. And yes, they are all they are cracked up to be - both.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I have 3 of them and they are second to none. I built one first and but it is collecting dust.

[Joe Bradshaw]

Jordan, I have several of the Easy wood tools and they work great. However, they are only one tool in your tool bag. It is really important to learn to sharpen your traditional tools. Most woodturners are afflicted with the shiney tool disease or the one tool away from excellence disease.

[Michelle Rich]

I have not bought them, as I cannot understand why they cost so much..the cutter is under 20.00..how can a little piece of steel and a wood handle cost that much?

[Prashun Patel]

"I have always had a problem sharpening tools and getting them perfect and consistent."

Before jumping into those, let's explore this statement a little more. What are you using to sharpen? I humbly suggest that with the right HSS gouges and proper sharpening technique, the benefit of the carbides might be marginal.

[Brad Adams]

I would spend the money on the wolverine sharpening jig first, if you don't already have it. It makes sharpening easy. I made my own carbide tool with the easy wood cutter. Once I learned to properly use a gouge, the carbide tool only gets used for really out of round or really rough turnings. Don't fool yourself into thinking it is a cure all tool. It won't supply you with a really smooth cut like a sharp gouge will.

[Robert Henrickson]

Easy Wood tools can be useful, but have definite limitations. I have both the full-size rougher and finisher, bought without handles. I used them for a while, but now the rougher hasn't been used at all in a year or three, and the finisher once or twice. The rougher in particular spits the shavings etc into your face. My first tool in turning was a bowl gouge, and my largest problem was learning to sharpen. With the Varigrind, that was solved. I use bowl gouges almost exclusively for everything, including much of my spindle turning. A gouge can serve multiple purposes well. The Easy Wood tools are more focused. If I pay $100 for a tool, it will not be an Easy Wood or similar tool -- I would go with a Hunter tool over EW.

[glenn bradley]

Using the Easy Wood tools that dad has; rougher, finisher and detailer, I was able to turn what I was after on my very first attempt at turning anything. I don't know if that means they are good for folks who don't know what they are doing or if that means they are so good even an idiot can turn with them . The ability to control the tool and get the result I was after compared to traditional tools was no contest. Again, this is the experience of someone who does not turn so take it for what it is.

[Reed Gray]

I did a short try with the Roughers, and can't understand all the fuss about them. They are scrapers. There is nothing that can be done with them that can't be done with a standard scraper, and scrapers are probably the easiest tool there is to sharpen. I guess the only real difference is size. Most scrapers have a larger cutting surface, and the smaller scrapers are thinner than the standard shaft on the Roughers. I do use scrapers a lot, and was doing so before the carbide tipped tools came out.

robo hippy

[Jordan Gilbert]

I don't have a grinder anymore I sold it when I sold my last lathe . I am getting back into turning now and still have some tools ( henry taylor). I had built my own jig to sharpen and could never get it right but I did use my friends tormek one time and it was really nice and I got a nice edge on it . But he had a easy 1k setup with all the tormek jigs and I am not going to cheap out but I can't afford 1k on a tormek . Regardless even if I had the sharpest tools in the world I would still want the ewt's because of the shape of the round one .I know how to sharpen tools I am just not a person that likes that kind of stuff and I was always wanting more . I see some people online just burn through wood with there gouges and no matter what I tried I could never get my tools like that . It seems like I would be in about 400-500 into a sharpener with jigs then a 8 set of sorbys and some hollowers thats a easy 1k ... Or I could just spend that 600-700 on easy wood tools and then hollowers .

[Thom Sturgill]

Using the Easy Wood tools that dad has; rougher, finisher and detailer, I was able to turn what I was after on my very first attempt at turning anything. I don't know if that means they are good for folks who don't know what they are doing or if that means they are so good even an idiot can turn with them . The ability to control the tool and get the result I was after compared to traditional tools was no contest. Again, this is the experience of someone who does not turn so take it for what it is.

Glenn, this just about states my opinion. they are scrapers and are easy to use and no sharpening hassles as you simply replace the tip. That said, too much reliance on them will keep you from progressing in your skill set. If all you ever want to do is bowls, or pens, or an few hollow forms, then they are fine, but you will never get to the next level with them. You need to learn to properly sharpen and use a gouge and a skew.