Sorby vs Henry Taylor

[Chris Barnett]

Regarding a heavy bowl scraper, the Sorby is 1 1/2 inches wide by 3/8 inch in thickness, and the Henry Taylor is 1 inch wide by 1/2 inch thick. Although the Taylor is 1/2-inch narrower, can it be ground to be used either in or outboard as can be done on the Sorby? The Sorby is a bit more expensive; I had the impression that the Taylor was perhaps the better tool, or are they about equal?

[Curt Fuller]

Henry Taylor and Robert Sorby are probably sitting in a pub somewhere drinking a pint of Guiness together. I've never been able to tell much difference between their tools. I watch for what goes on sale somewhere and that probably influences which I buy more than anything. Either scraper can be ground to whatever shape you like and both would be good tools. The differences would come along when you started getting into different grades of steel. But even then, they would be very comparable.

[Jim Becker]

When it comes to heavy scrapers, heavy wins, no matter what the name on the tool. Mass is important to help you control the tool. While the tool may look and be big and stong, you normally use often it in such way that the cut, itself, is very delicate. The more mass you have, the better you can position and control that cut. Do remember that you actually are cutting with a "scraper", not "scraping". The cuts are fine as are the shavings but if you are using the tool correctly, you will be getting shavings, not dust...or chunks. :)

So the two tools you describe are different tools for different situations. The smaller, lighter tool is for circumstances when that is what you need and with less of the tool hanging over the rest, too.

[Wilbur Pan]

You can grind a scraper to whatever shape you want. I have a Doug Thompson 1" scraper. Thompson scrapers use the Ford Model T approach: they come in whatever shape you want, as long as its square. I took it and ground it into a "bowl scraper" shape, by drawing a bowl scraper outline freehand with a Sharpie marker, and grinding off the excess.

Now I have to buy another one so I can have a square scraper. ;)

[Reed Gray]

One thing to add to what the others have said, is the inboard/outboard thing. This applys mostly to turning a bowl without reversing it. If you mount to the top of the bowl, turn the bottom, then reverse to turn the inside, there is no inside/outside scraper, the inside one (quarter round from the right towards the left side, and swept back to the left side) will do the inside and the outside of the bowl no problem. I do use the outboard/outside scraper to flatten off the top of the bowl blank when I am roughing out the outside of the bowl. This helps balance the blank better so I can turn at higher speeds. I never seem to be able to get a perfectly balanced blank right of the bandsaws (big one for parallel top and bottom, and smaller one for circle cutting).
robo hippy