Anyone have opinions on Benjamin's Best 1/2" oval skew

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knowltoh

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PSI has a Benjamin's Best 1/2" oval skew with carbide tip in the $22 range. I will be going to Woodcraft and was planning to get a Sorby HSS oval skew. Price about $45 with current sale.

I have not used Sorby before and was planning to treat myself. Is the Benjamin's Best in the same league?

Thanks for the help.
 
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At SWAT last in September, Alan Lacer showed, what he considers, a good use for oval skews.

Since he lives in Michigan he uses them to plant bulb plants.
 
BlackPearl said:
At SWAT last in September, Alan Lacer showed, what he considers, a good use for oval skews.

Since he lives in Michigan he uses them to plant bulb plants.
Click to expand...

That's funny. In the local turning club here, one of the 25 year turning veterans who is considered the club expert on using the skew would agree. He has told club members to never buy an oval skew and if they have one give it away or throw it out.
 
Benjamin's Best tools are decent. I have a couple of them, but oddly enough I found them to be less substantial than the Harbor Freight HSS tools. Too bad HF doesn't have an oval skew... ;)
 
I'm a relative newbie-did turning off and on since early teens, then got back into it , and especially pens, about a year ago, once the kids were grown. Sooooo-I sure don't have the expertise that some of the other posts talk about (skew experts in local clubs, etc.).

I have a Sorby oval skew and I like it. Actually, I have a whole set of Sorby's and I really like them all. The set didn't come with a flat scraper, so I bought a Benjamin's Best 3/4 flat scraper. I really like it too, though I would say it holds an edge for only about 3/4 of the time that the Sorby's do.

I wish we lived in the same area, I would just give you my Sorby skew for a week and let you play with it, to help you decide.

Good luck. I guess my final thoughts are that I don't think you can go too far wrong with a Sorby, as long as the price doesn't deter you. On the other hand, I bet a Benjamin's Best would work well too.

Roger

P.S. I wonder why the experts don't like oval skews?
 
I have both the Sorby half inch and several Benjamin's Best 3/4" oval.

The Sorby is a little heavier, even though it is smaller and it DOES hold an edge better. But I use the BB much more often, cause I like the 3/4".

Turning tools are certainly an opinion, not a science.
 
Interesting variety of comments. I use a 3/4" BB oval skew more than any other turning tool! (as for the OPs question, though... to me a 1/2" would be too small and I don't have a carbide tipped skew so mines not an apples to apples comparison)
 
I've used the Benjamin's Best carbide tipped tools. In my opinion, they're OK. The carbide doesn't need sharpening as often, but at it's sharpest, I don't think it is as sharp as you can get a good HSS tool. Definitely brittle, too.

YMMV

-Barry
 
I have 3 skews that I love. My favorite is my 1/2" H. Taylor fallowed by a H. Taylor 1" and a D. Thompson 3/8" round. In the future I would like to get a 1/4" round.

I had a Sorby 1" oval. It may have been good for planting bulbs, but I got rid of it. A lot of people like the oval skew. I am not 1 of them.

Do not give up on the skew. It is a very powerful tool to have in your arsenal.

Cheers

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