# Bowl Gouge reccomendation.



## MidKnight (Aug 6, 2012)

Hello all

So, I would like to get a 3/8" fingernail bowl gouge. Budget is about $100. 

What suggestions do you have? I'm looking at the pinnacle cryogenic at Woodcraft. 

What do you all think? Suggestions? Lesser known makers? All comments are welcome. 

Thanks in advance.


----------



## knika (Jan 15, 2012)

I love Doug Thompson tools. 

http://www.thompsonlathetools.com/


----------



## TomC (Oct 27, 2008)

knika said:


> I love Doug Thompson tools. http://www.thompsonlathetools.com/


Agree 100 per cent!
Tom


----------



## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

Ditto on the Thompson tools. Great tools and great guy.


----------



## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

I have a 1/2 and 3/8 Thompson I haven't turned a handle for the 3/8 yet but the 1/2 is great. I rough turned a whole 14 inch cherry bowl and never had to sharpen, my psi gouge dulls 10 times faster. The 3/8 cost $50 and the 1/2 cost $60.


----------



## DST (Jan 10, 2011)

Have a look at dway tools also


----------



## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

If you want a bargain tool that's pretty decent get one of the Packard house brand tools. Or they also sell the [email protected] bowl gouges. All will do you well. I like the Thompson's better but in reality only advanced turners really get the benefits of a tool with a better flute shape or longer lasting edge. I haven't compared prices lately and a Thompson may not be that much more expensive. I did look at the list of gouges on the Packard site and they varied from $35 to $75 dollars for the same basic tool, just different steels or different brands. The Thompson and Dway tools are state of the art metal and I know the Thompson tools come with a good grind right from the factory. I think the Dway's do also but I don't own any of them. Sometimes other brands give you a tool with really odd grinds simply because people all over the world grind tools differently and they might assume that we change it to our grind anyway. With the Thompsons you get a grind right off the Oneway Wolverine jig which is what many of us use anyway.


----------



## Jim Meyer (Jan 21, 2013)

I am happy with my Thompson tools. Jim


----------



## jgilfor (Jan 25, 2013)

IMHO Doug Thompson or D-Way, and you can't go wrong on quality or price point.

Honestly, don't waste your time on other brands. I've tried most all the others, and keep picking up my Thompson or D-way.

I think I like the flute shape of Dave's (D-way) better (SLIGHTLY), but the steel on Doug's is the best. And, personally, I'd stick to the U shaped gouges. For $100, you can get 2. Make handles or pick one of Doug's handles. They are "the bomb"!

Best yet, get a 1/2 inch D-way, and a 5/8 th Thompson. That's all you need... Bowl Gouge-wise.


----------



## Mort (Jan 4, 2014)

How is the Robert Sorby?


----------



## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

Mort said:


> How is the Robert Sorby?


you are paying a lot for red letters.


----------



## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

Sorby tools are OK along with Henry taylor. They are mostly older style metals which is fine, people have been using them for many years. I still have several Sorby tools that are fine. 
Price unfortunately doesn't always tell the whole story of a tool. When I started out I bought some off brand tools that were High speed steel from Woodworkers Supply. I'm still using some of them 25 years later. they were considerably less expensive than the Sorby at the time. 
The problem now days is there are many Chinese made tools that are High Speed steel and apparently they very in edge holding quality a lot. I've purchased several from Harbour Freight. Some are good and some are not much better than Carbon Steel tools. 
It's better today to stick to tools that have a good reputation. Sorby, Henry Taylor, [email protected], Packard and Craft Supplies house brands. Thompson and D way stand out as better tools by most people's standards. There are few new ones on the market that haven't been around long enough to get a good reputation such as Carter tools. They are made of state of the art steel but simply haven't been around long enough to see if they hold up.


----------



## jgilfor (Jan 25, 2013)

Carter and sons tools sure are purty, but wow are they expensive!


----------



## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

Wondering what thoughts anyone might have about the Hunter tools?


----------



## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

I'm a Hunter tool fan. I still use a bowl gouge for 90 percent of the work I do because I grew up with one and I'm really good with it. However I do use several of the Hunter tools for finishing cuts. 
The new Hunter Hercules and Osprey are great tools for beginners. They will do almost everything you need to do and there's no sharpening. I use the Osprey a lot when my bowl gouge won't leave a clean enough cut on problems woods. I use the #4 or #5 for all finishing cuts on the inside of my boxes and for the bottoms of steep sided bowls. 
I have quite a few video's on the Hunter tools Go to www.youtube.com and then type in john60lucas/hunter and you can find them. Here is one of them
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzrLN8SQ8ms


----------



## Jerry Maske (Dec 29, 2013)

*Bowl Gouges*

I think there's a wide spectrum both in quality and pricing.  Doug Thompson's are the best on the market. You do have to make a handle or buy one of his but lets get right down to it. Call the guy and talk to him. If his integrity and honesty don't sell you, then go somewhere else. His tools are as good as you'll find and they really aren't that expensive.

Another option, if you want to start inexpensively is the "Hurricane" line. I bought an entire set when I started and ruined a couple learning how to sharpen. But I'm a lot happier ruining a $25 tool and learning, as opposed to ruining one of Doug's. The Hurricane line is on Amazon and I don't think you can beat them, for the price. HSS and pretty well made. The Spindle Roughing Gouges are SUPER! They have full length flutes that make them really strong. I've got one that's 1" that will take down most anything in a heartbeat. 

Since Doug doesn't sell a 1" roughing gouge I'll stay with Hurricane for that one. However, his others are top of the heap. Higher quality metal that holds an edge MUCH longer and will outlast anything on the market, in my humble opinion.

Jerry


----------



## MidKnight (Aug 6, 2012)

Well, I've settled on the 1/2" Thompson bowl gouge. Thank you all for your input. I'll let you know how it turns out.


----------



## TomC (Oct 27, 2008)

MidKnight said:


> Well, I've settled on the 1/2" Thompson bowl gouge. Thank you all for your input. I'll let you know how it turns out.


You want regret the purchase!
Tom


----------

