Sorby Skew half price of Thompson?

[Adrian Anguiano]

Looking at getting a nice flat skew. 3/4"

I was gonna try out one of these Thompson's, but it seems that their skews are alot more expensive than their other tools as compared to sorby. Double the price.

Still think its worth going Thompson?

Also who uses their handles?? Any experience? Should i just make my own?

http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/5803/skews
http://www.thompsonlathetools.com/tool.asp?ID=5622

[Eric Gourieux]

Adrian,
I don't have one of his skews, but I own several of Thompson's bowl gouges. They are my preferred gouge. There is a difference between the HSS (the Sorby in your link) and the steel with vanadium that Thompson uses. In my experience (with bowl gouges), the V-10 steel holds an edge longer than HSS.

Regarding Thompson's handles, I have several of them and they are very nice. They have shot in them for ballast. They are also fairly inexpensive. Of course, you could also make your own handle. There have been several posts about shop-made handles, and some of them look very nice.

[John Keeton]

Adrian, there is a huge difference in the metal used in the tools you reference, and that accounts for much of the price differential. The Thompson is also 5/16" compared to 1/4" on the Sorby.

[Thom Sturgill]

I have a heavy Hamlet 1 1/4 that i have used for years and recently bought a 3/4" Thompson. M-U-C-H sharper and better cutting tool.

[Adrian Anguiano]

Hey Thom, with your 3/4" skew did you buy a handle, or make your own?

[Thom Sturgill]

I re-used a wood handle that i had removed from a gouge. It was one I had turned. I have made metal handles for most of my gouges.

[Alan Trout]

Part of the cost in the Thomson is that the A11 tool steel that he uses does not come in sheet stock. It comes in thick blocks and each blade has to be saw cut and then machined. This is expensive and labor intensive thus the increase in price. Doug's tools for the money are very hard to beat. I think value wise it is hard to find a better tool.

[robert baccus]

All the high vanadium tools such as Thompson, Glasers ect are well worth the money if you need them. How much do you use a skew or scrapers ect. Most of my gouges are high vanadium but few others because I use them daily, but I buy most other tools a notch cheaper.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I agree that if you are a heavy skew user, then investing in a Thompson skew would be well worth the price. But for me, who can't effectively use a skew, a Sorby is fine. I can spend the extra coins on a gouge.

[Matt Owen]

I bought the 1 1/4" Thompson skew a few years ago and love it. I also have a 1/2" skew (home made from A2), which covers everything I need from a skew. I bought the big Alan Lacer skew a couple years back and don't really care too much for it. The handle is too big for my liking, which I could easily turn another handle for it but I haven't felt the need to because I like my Thompson so much.