Freud Chisels & Turning Tools

[Robert Brandt2]

Freud used to make bench chisels & turning tools from chrome-vanadium steel. Seems like Freud discontinued chisels, gouges, etc., about 5-6 years ago.

I'm looking at a boxed set of 8 turning tools, TT-108. Can't find any for sale . The few reviews I can find are very mixed and prices are all over the place.

Anybody know what happen? Why they disappeared?

thanks,
robert

[Doug W Swanson]

I have a set of those and they are just OK. That's maybe why they discontinued them.

I got a great deal on the set that I have but if I had paid full price for them, I would have been majorly disappointed.

[Robert Brandt2]

Why just "OK"?
What is/was full price? I can't find any numbers.
What do you think they are worth? - good condition, etc. etc.

[Doug W Swanson]

A couple of things that I found out is that they don't hold an edge as long as other tools I have. Also, there are a couple of shapes included in the set that I haven't used because of their odd grind. One of these days I may try to re-grind them into something more useful. Some of them I use all the time like the skews and roughing gouges but the others just sit there.
I think I paid about $50 for my set on Ebay a few years ago. I think they sold for $150 or so.
$50 for the set would be about my limit. Just go into it knowing that there are a couple tools that might not be very useful.

Have you checked out Benjamin's Best tools? They are nice tools for the money....

JMO

[Dick Strauss]

Robert,
HF offers two different starter sets of 8 HSS tools for $50-60 or so. Chrome vanadium is definitely inferior to HSS for turning and holding an edge.

[Robert Brandt2]

Would you believe, HF 8 piece "heavy duty triple tempered tool steel" @ $20 and 8 piece HSS @ $60!

[Tim Thiebaut]

The Benjamines Best set that Doug mentioned is really a great value, and the tools are very nice. I purchased my set from PSI last Dec when I started turning and love them, I have purchased some individual tools here and there to had to my collection but you just can not go wrong with the starter set that they have. I do have an OLD set of HF tools I picked up as extras and my Ben's Best set blows them away in quality. Just my 2 cents here.

[J.D.Redwine]

There is a set on ebay. The auction expires March 7.

[Robert Brandt2]

Boy! Did just get a surprise. I've never bought anything from Penn State, but my impression is that hey have pretty good stuff. Everybody bad-mouths HF. No they don't compete with Sorby or LN, but they seem to provide good value for the money. I don't use every tool every day and my lifetime is probably only another 20 years or so. Many times HF fits with what I need - and, of course, my budget.

BTW the 8 piece set at HF and PSI look identical. Same "H-S-S" on the steel, same shape handles, even the same groves on the handles - and they are $10 cheaper than PSI.

Thanks for your input.

[Dick Strauss]

Robert,
You might want to wait until they go on sale. HF also has 20% off one item coupons all over the place. Let me know if I can help you find one.

PSI does offer many tools that HF does not. They offer bowl gouges and scrapers that are very good for the money.