Your Go to Bowl Gouge.

[Russ Massery]

I most of you have several tools in your arsenal. Do you have a go to bowl gouge? I was thinking of going the poll route. But decided to ask the question straight out. Hopefully to get more incite of what to buy. I have no Bowl gouges in my tool collection. Thanks.

[Roger Chandler]

My go to bowl gouge is a 5/8" cryo Pinnacle gouge...[made by Crown].....with V flute..........that being said I also have a 3/8" Sorby HSS that I use a lot............my 5/8" is beginning to get a flute shorter than I like.......won't be long till I get another.........and it will be either a Thompson [of which I have 2 detail and one 3/4" U flute for hogging out big stuff] or perhaps a Glazer or D-Way....have not decided as of yet, but will pull the trigger before long.

[Jerry Marcantel]

My best gouge is an old chrome plated Craftsman that has about 1 or 2 sharpenings left before death, and I'm surely gonna miss it when it dies.. I don't like my 1/2" V Thompson gouge at all. When I do use it, it cuts great, but then I end up with a catch that the other gouge couldn't catch on. It scares me, and I thought I was fearless.... I've made most of my tools, so don't really know what a good tool is... Jerry (in Tucson)

[Jeff Myroup]

Thompson 5/8" 'V' type bowl gouge, with Thompson handle. :) I also like my Sorby 3/8" bowl gouge as well.


Jerry, have you tried grinding the Thompson the same as the Craftsman?

[Ken Glass]

Any of my Doug Thompson gouges, but specifically my 1/2" V-grove Bowl gouge.

[Robert Henrickson]

Packard 3/8" Side Grind [1/2" shaft] -- first gouge I've pretty much used up though I don't want to admit it -- have to grind the top flat to get it into the grinding jig. Time to get another. The flute stays clear whatever I do -- I've been able to clog any other bowl gouge I've tried.

I've used it for a lot of my spindle turning as well. Definitely my all-purpose tool.

[Bob Bergstrom]

Russ, Jeff and I will bring our bowl gouges to the club for the next meeting. You can try and we'll talk about what they each can do. That's what is great about turning clubs. The exchange of experiences and dreams of what to buy next. Of course you'll have to listen to Jeff Myroup's dreams getting his Robust Lathe.

[Jamie Donaldson]

My workhorse gouge is a 5/8" Oneway Mastercut M4, and don't forget that we're talking about the USA method of measuring tool diameter, not flute width as in England. My back-up and very similar gouges are Thompson V flutes, and Doug's V flute shape is much like a Sorby U flute. I wasn't able to tell any significant differences between D-Way M42 and Oneway M4 alloys, and over the years I've used about every alloy and brand of tools made.

[Jerry Marcantel]

Thompson 5/8" 'V' type bowl gouge, with Thompson handle. :) I also like my Sorby 3/8" bowl gouge as well.


Jerry, have you tried grinding the Thompson the same as the Craftsman?


Yep, when I got my Thompson gouge, I set up my Vari Grind for Doug's grind, and all my gouges are ground that way except my large spindle gouge which doesn't fit in the VG.....Jerry (in Tucson)

[Jim Burr]

3/8" U groove Thompson with a Monster tools handle. Also the 3/8" V groove but with the grind I have on it, it is better suited for shallow work.

[Reed Gray]

Well, it all depends on how you turn your bowls, short bed lathe (sliding headstock, pivoted headstock, or really short bed), or long bed lathe. It also depends on how you prefer to hold your tools.

For roughing, I use scrapers. That is where they excel. You can use a gouge, but for me, scrapers are far more efficient.

For the finish cuts, I hold my tools level, both on the outside and inside of the bowl. I also roll the tool over on its side, so there is no risk of the wings catching. For this, a more open fluted gouge is my preference. I like both the Thompson V and U gouges for this, but the U gouge has a bigger sweet spot when rolled on its side. I have found little difference in how similar flute designs cut, other than very deep and pointy V gouges tend to clog up, and work better with a dropped handle where you are cutting more with the wing than with the nose. The nose on a V gouge has a very small sweet spot compared to a continental or fluteless gouge which has a nose profile like this (.

I do like bigger tools, and most of the time will use a 5/8, though on the insides, I am not favoring a 1/2 inch gouge. A 3/8 feels way too tiny to me.

For the insides of bowls, you need two gouges. One for going down the side, and the other for going through the transition and across the bottom, which means a more standard 45 or so degree bevel, and a 60 or steeper bevel for the other. Just about any angle will work on the outside of the bowl.

I have gotten away from the swept back design gouges. The long wings are handy for roughing as you can get more steel into the wood at once, but I use scrapers for that. Also, for a dropped handle shear cut, the wing can give you a high shear angle, but again, I use scrapers, and I don't have to drop the handle.

robo hippy

[Russ Massery]

I have a Delta 46-460 midi lathe.

[Bill Wyko]

Definitely my Glaser 15v 5/8 gouge. But I have to say, I find myself going to my 3/8" gough in my Glaser MiniQR set quite regularly as well.

[Jon Nuckles]

My Thompson 5/8" v-gouge used to be my sole go-to, but lately I am using it more for roughing and using my Glaser 15V 1/2" for the last few passes. The 5/8" may be overkill for your midi . . . so go ahead and get one and you will be ready to buy a bigger lathe!

[Sean Hughto]

Like most things with woodworking tools, I'm convinced that its largely a matter of what you are used to. I personally like my Trent Bosch bowl gouges, but that may well be that its what I started with and have learned to use.

[Harry Robinette]

My Thompson 5/8s or 1/2" different grinds.

[James Roberts]

Sorby 3/8 inch bowl gouge. Also have a Sorby 1/4 inch that I use on smaller items and for cleaning up the bottoms. Both side grind.

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

Not sure I should comment here because as a rule I don't turn bowls. However I do use a variety of bowl gouges on every vessels I turn. My most used bowl gouges are in this order, Henry Taylor 5/8" dia. original Super Flute bowl gouge, Sorby 3/8" (1/2" dia ) and 3/8" D-Way.
I am using a 3/4" dia Sorby more all the time too. I have several others that I use occasionally.

[Prashun Patel]

I agree with Sean. I think people love what they have. I have Thompson 1/2u and 5/8v. If I had to have one, it'd be the 1/2. On my midi I can use it on everything I turn. I use the 5/8 largely for roughing although it leaves a smooth cut. Just a tad large for finishing my stuff IMHO.

[Bernie Weishapl]

My Thompson 1/2 V and U gouges.

[Jeff Fagen]

I do the majority of my turning with a Lyle Jamieson signature 5/8 bowl gouge I believe is made by Sheffield.It is a swept back U shape with almost 0 catches.

[Richard Jones]

Thompson 5/8" V, in a hose covered shot filled handle.

[Thom Sturgill]

I do mostly smaller pieces, so my 1/2" and 3/8" Thompson/Clewes gouges. But since I took a day's training with David Ellsworth, I find myself using his gouges and techniques more.

[Don Orr]

My favorite bowl gouge is the 1/2" AAW commemorative gouge from the 20th anniversary. Glaser steel and a cocobolo handle. Fantastic tool. When I have trouble with any other gouge this one saves me. I have and use several others but this is my go-to for sure.

[Kathy Marshall]

My go to gouge is my Thompson 3/8 V bowl gouge. I use it for almost everything. I picked up a Thompson fluteless gouge in San Jose and it does a good job for finish cuts and I also use a Thompson 1/4" detail spindle gouge for cleaning up bottoms, beads and rims. I don't think I've used another tool (not counting my hollowing and coring systems) in over a month.

[Joe Landon]

Glaser 5/8" 10V and Glaser 1/2" 15V

[Scott Hackler]

Sorby 3/8" bowl gouge (same as a 1/2" in the US). 2nd choice is my Thompson 1/2" V groove.

[Jack Mincey]

I've got a number of different gouges, but prefer the feel I get from my Ellsworth gouge over the rest. I wore the first one down to about half its length and bought a new one last winter to have a spare. Bought one of them in PM from him a few weeks back when I saw him do a demo at a local club. The flute on his gouge works for me better than any of the others I've tried and since I sharpen frequently M2 steel has worked very well for my in the past. I'm locking forward to put he new PM model through it's paces.
Jack