Chisels - is there a master list somewhere?

[Mike vonBuelow]

Hi all,

Just looking to see if there's already a published general listing that categorizes lathe chisels by non-specific, general categories of quality - maybe something to the effect of "high end," "mid range," and "economical" - oh, and maybe a "stay away from of you might lose an eye"

NOT looking for bashing, just something that a newbie can get a baseline feel for when looking for a starter set, or that forever set - maybe something too that has the what nomenclature to look for, or, again, stay away from?

Maybe something worthy of a forum sticky?

[Vince Welch]

Hi Mike,
I am not aware such a list. Here is my generalization of tool steel. The Chinese HSS such as Benjamin's best etc does not hold an edge long. These are great to practice sharpening and different grinds. The HSS steels from England are much better and have been used for years. They hold an edge. Thompson tools are a big favorite and have a long edge life. These tools are reasonable priced as well. The Carbide tool are gaining popularity and have their place. One suggestion I offer is to learn to use "standard tools" such as gouges, skews, etc. before learning other tools like the carbides. I hope this helps.

[Dwight Rutherford]

I think Vince gives good guidelines. Noticed you list NorCal as your location. There are a number of turning clubs in the area ,all offer mentors. Suggest you contact them and get some one on one help. I belong to NorCal Woodturners in Sacramento. Feel free to PM me.

[Bruce Pratt]

As to quality, for gouges, with the various brands, you pretty much get what you pay for.... Take a look in some of the turning supply catalogs to get an idea of the variety of brands available. One recommendation, stay away from old (= not high speed steel) gouges, they will not hold an edge for very long and you will spend a lot of time sharpening, or working with dull (=dangerous) tools.

[Reed Gray]

I don't know that any one has done a comparative tool review on gouge or other tool steel quality. There is some thing to 'you get what you pay for'. Standard M2 high speed steel is pretty good, far better than carbon steel. The V 10 that Doug Thompson uses and the M42 or what ever it is that Dave Schweitzer uses are pretty similar in how long the edges last, and both are much better than M2. Other than that, flute shape is probably just as important. I haven't used the V 15 steel yet, and it hasn't taken the turning world by storm.

robo hippy

[Thom Sturgill]

I agree with Robo and will add a caveat - While M2 steel is OK it varies drastically depending on how it was heat treated. Zone hardening, where just the end is heated using induction, leaves you with a tool that after grinding down an inch or so is useless.
The HF stuff I started with definitely falls into this category, and I have been told my Sorby's and Benjamins Best do too though I have not ground as much off them. Since proper heat treating can be expensive, this is part of where the 'you get what you pay for' comes in. Doug Thompson and Dave Schweitzer not only have steels that are much better than M2, they also do top notch heat treatment.
Then as Robo says, flute shape is also important. While the grind is important it is something you can change, as is the handle choice. Because of the importance of these last factors, and how the individual turners preference plays a part, I do not think that a 'qualitative' listing could be done other than of the steel, its treatment, and the tool finish. Then a high rated tool might be unusable to YOU and work great for ME (or vise-versa) depending on flute and grind.

[Mel Fulks]

I've had to order bars of M2 and some years back there were more brands than now. I've never detected any difference,
but they were all American. Since some knife grinders refer to M2 as the "lowest grade they carry" and others push the lower grade semi high speed, I know they are many times taken to be the same thing. M2 has a little darker ,less white
color and feels more waxy. With a planer you can actually hear the difference . For a ranking of chisels you can look at Bob
Smalser's list, some of us don't agree with all of it, but you can make your own revisions.

[Mike vonBuelow]

Thanks all - great advice & suggestions.

Again, I was/am not wanting ANY inflammatory talk, just basic helpful, previously spoken advice specifically for us newbs who always ask this question.


And I would probably venture to say EVERYTHING longevity concerned is predicated on proper tool use as well :P



Until my next question...