Looking for a new skew

[Nicholas Briggs]

My 3/4" skew chisels from Sears is my favorite finishing tool. I just got new Penn State and Craft Supply catalogs and am looking at newer more expensive models. Craft Supplies has fancy signature models from $30-100+ Do these really perform that much better? Penn State has some nice looking "Benjamin's Best" for only $17.50. Is there that big of a difference in these tools? Or should I just stick what my Craftsman?

[John Shuk]

If you are looking to move up from the Sears stuff then Benjamin's best might not fit the bill. I have a set of Harbor Freight tools that included 2 skews and they are decent. I think BB is made by the same source in China. I also have a large spindle roughing gouge from BB. It is good for a roughing gouge but I think some of the more expensive brands are nicer in fit and finish. My roughing gouge for instance has a spot where the wall thickness is inconsistent. When I get to that spot along the tool I'll have to grind past it to get a good edge.
If I were looking to upgrade I would go a bit higher up the ladder for the extra dough.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I have the big Raffan skew from Craft Supply and love it. So yep you guess it I got both of Lacer"s skews and wouldn't trade any one of the three. The skew is my favorite turning tool.

[Dennis Peacock]

You could step up to a Crown or Sorby skew or step all the way up to a Lacer skew.....or.....you could order you a P&N skew, turn yourself a handle for it and call it all good. ;) :D

[Gordon Seto]

It depends on what you mostly use your skew for. I bought both Lacer skews after watching his demo. He demonstrates that they can be used on almost every size. They are thick and heavy. They excel in roughing out a large square blank. The wide skew has a big sweet spot for planning cut. But the long and heavy handle gets in the way when I want to stand close for detail work. And the 3/8" is too thick and blocks my view when using the long point. They are good choice for very large scale work.
I don't care for the oval skew because it is difficult to sharpen and not as rigid. My favorite was the 1" 2060 Hamlet; I like the balance. I prefer it over Sorby which has sharp corners that will easily nick the tool rest.
My newest addition is the 1¼" Thompson skew. It was un-handled. Before I made the handle, I tried it as a John Jordan style shear scraper without handle. The A-11 steel holds the burr very well. I doubt I can use regular HSS skew this way without going back to the grinder very often.

I prefer the edges of short point side rounded; and the edges of the long point side softened. You may want more than one skew.

Gordon

[Steve Kubien]

I have an OLD Sorby 1/2" skew which I really like for smaller work and the big P&N which I use as a roughing gouge (don't own one of those). Both are great. The P&N holds its edge better but is just too big for a lot of work. When I've used up the Sorby I'll be getting a similar-sized Thompson. I've got 3 of Doug's gouges and love them. I envision the same with his other tools.

My 2 cents

Steve Kubien
Ajax, Ontario

[Curt Fuller]

I'm not trying to cause any stir here but I've read so much about skews lately that I just have to say this. The skew is the most simple, basic tool in the turning arsenal. Not the easiest to use by any means but the most simple to make. For that reason I have to wonder why there are so darned many expensive "signature" skews on the market. It's just a flat bar of steel with an edge ground on one end and a handle on the other. With the exception of the quality of steel and the size of the bar, I can't see what could possibly make one skew any different than another. Some grind them with a slight radius on the cutting edge, some round the corners of the bar, some even put a round bottom on them. But when it comes down to it there's only one tiny little part of the edge that's cutting the wood and the rest of the magic is in the hands that are on the handle. Heck, Jim King sharpens leaf springs for skews down in Peru. If you don't mind sharpening more frequently, the cheap HSS skew is just as good a tool as the most expensive models.

Your mileage may vary and I'm sure there are plenty that will think I'm wrong. But a skew is a skew is a skew is a skew.

[Gordon Seto]

Curt,

You are right. A Rolls Royce, Lexus or Yugo is a car.


Gordon

[Nicholas Briggs]

Thanks for the replies all! I went with the 1" x 1/4" Raffan Kryo from Craft Supplies. I fear the vortex has me now. I'll probably go in debt on the Lacer's soon. :(

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Nathan..........My favorite tool is the skew. When planing it makes a surface that often doesn't need any sanding. The one I use most often is a Robert Larson 1/2"....sheffield steel assembled in the US. I recently bought a 5/8" and 1 1/4" Lacers. I haven't even sharpened them yet. I'm not sure...I'll probably use them for the first time when I make a new lathe purchase. The skew takes a lot of practice and your mantra needs to be "sharp, sharp, sharp!"......I grind and diamond hone. Often go through 2 projects or several pens with only a minor touch up with the diamond hone! Go guy......waste a lot of wood ...later you won't regret it!

[Curt Fuller]

Curt,

You are right. A Rolls Royce, Lexus or Yugo is a car.


Gordon

Gordon, that's exactly the point I was trying to make. If a skew had all the complexities, engineering, and technology that a car has, then I could see why a $160 Lacer skew would produce better results than a $15 Benjamin's Best skew. But sharpened the same and using the same technique, I tend to think both will produce the same results.

[Gordon Seto]

But sharpened the same and using the same technique, I tend to think both will produce the same results.

Curt,

I agree with you to a point. When you are talking about the $160 skew, I think you are referring to the big Lacer 1-3/8" X 3/8" thick skew made with 2060 powdered metal.
Other than may be going to the grinder more often, I don't think a BB skew would produce any less in result when turning small objects like pens.

But I would not be comfortable to use the BB skew to cut a pommel on a 6" square balustrade. Probably a 3" may start to get some chattering already with the long overhang over the tool rest. But how many of us is going to turn architectural spindle work? I have the regular version of this big skew; I seldom use it. I find it cumbersome to do small things. It is like driving a 500 horsepower racer stuck in traffic.

I can also use my A-11 steel skew as a negative rake scraper on the outside of bowl. I don't think those less quality steel would hold up in this non traditional usage.

Gordon