Skew Recommendations

[Andrew Kertesz]

I am getting ready to purchase a skew to try and tame the beast. Not having a lot of experience other than a small one I'm not really sure what to consider. Should I get a straight one, or the radiused edge like the Alan Lacer style? Not having any experince not sure of the advantages of one style over the other. What width? What maker? and so on... Thanks for any suggestions.

[Tim Rinehart]

I have two skews...a 1" wide one (maybe 3/4"?) that came with my Benjamin Best 6 pc set several years ago and it's my most used skew for ease of holding, rounded edge that moves along rest easy and it's light enough (wooden handle) I can hold it only a few inches from edge for detail work.
I've also got a Glaser 1 1/2" skew and its a very robust skew which I like for larger skew work, i.e 2" diameter and so on. The question I think to ask, is what are you wanting it for, because a smaller skew isn't as appropriate if you're wanting do rolling pins, for example.
I sharpen both of mine to slightly convex grind on my belt sander and only diamond hone a few strokes as needed after that initial grind...and hone often while using.
As for radiusing the edge...I'm not convinced it makes a big difference. I tried, but found it didn't make my use of it much better. Biggest thing for me was getting rid of the hollow grind and towards a flat or slightly convex grind. Some folks like the radius though, so may be personal taste. You can convert any skew to have a radius grind or straight grind, or experiment a couple times one way or other to see which suits your style. Just don't want to keep grinding away needlessly for a skew.

[Prashun Patel]

I only have a Sorby oval skew. My tip is cambered, and I use mine for final smoothing the outsides of bowls. Not only does a cambered edge prevent catches, it is also IMHO easier for me freehand sharpen (i use the bottom of the grinder wheel).

[Tim Rinehart]

... I use mine for final smoothing the outsides of bowls..
Prashun, I've got to believe are you using on outside of bowl in a scraper or shear scraping mode, vs riding the bevel? Hard to imagine using a skew riding bevel on outside of bowl without something bad imminent. Just curious how many others out there also do this? I know John Jordan uses his shear scraping tool (kinda hybrid scraper/skew I suppose) for that, but I find a 1/2" or 5/8" swept back grind does the shear scraping with excellent control, so I let my JJ tool go some months ago.

[Prashun Patel]

YES! I do not ride the bevel on a skew. Should have said that. I don't use it like a scraper (high tool rest, tip below handle). I guess, it's more of a shear scrape - held much like a bowl gouge during final passes.

I find it more controllable than a scraper. I don't know why. Perhaps it's the skew, which makes pushing through the curve easier than with a scraper held perpendicular to the surface. To each his own.

I don't use it on the insides of bowls.

Oh yeah, I also use my skew for tenon shaping, and bead forming. I love that point!

[Quinn McCarthy]

I really like the bigger skew chisels. I have the widest Sorby and Alan Lacer's biggest model.

I really like them both. I made my own handle for the lacer skew and it has a lot of weight witch I really like.


Quinn

[Matt Winterowd]

I've tried a couple of skews and I found the actual Alan Lacer big skew (I think that Hamlet makes them) to be by far my favorite. It's 1 3/8" wide with a pretty aggressive radius to it and the extra width and mass (it's huge) really made easier for me to get confident and smooth with the tool. If I recall, it comes ground with a flatter bevel than most skews, made possible by the extra thickness. I imagine that the wider bevel and flatter angle may make the approach to cutting along the axis of the piece a bit more intuitive feeling.

[Rick Prosser]

I like my Alan Lacer skew for the heft, and I like my small benjamin's best oval for lighter work and fine detail in tight spots.

[Bill Wyko]

I'm going to Glaser tomorrow to pick up my skews and probably a few other tools. I also get to meet Alan Lacer there. Aparently Alan has taken an interest in the Glaser tools as well. If you can wait till this weekend, I'll come back with much more infomation and a review on the whole Enchilada.

[David E Keller]

+1 for the Lacer skews... The extra thickness makes them more comfortable for me to use.

[Andrew Kertesz]

Has anybody used the D-Way skews? They are less expensive than the Lacers and I know everything else from D-Way gets great reviews.

[Ryan Baker]

Talk to John Keeton about the D-way. I think he has one ... or maybe he just has the gouges. I have to think they would be really good, just like all the other D-Way tools.

I really like my large Lacer skew the best. That's mainly for the heft, less for the curved edge. I don't have a strong preference either way about the curved edge -- I use both. One of the other brands of similar size to the Lacer would do also. Of course you will sometimes need something smaller (~1/2") at times too.

[Thomas Hamilton]

Hi Andrew - I prefer the Lacer skews. Something that hasn't been mentioned about the Lacer skews is that they are tapered. I think they are the only tapered skews, but I may be wrong on that. The width is tapered, large at the tool end, tapering down towards the tip. I think the reason is for a more robust tool. It's rock solid. I have a 5/8", 1" and 1 1/4" skews from other manufacturers, but I always reach for the Lacer skews first. I hope this helps.