Robert Sorby- Are They The Most Innovative?

[Kidbee]

Is it fair to say that Robert Sorby are the most innovative makers of woodturning tools in the world?

From my observations, they must have a great Research and Development team.

[artful bodger]

Blimey! that is a bold statement.
In what respect?

[Jim Carroll]

They are not bad copiers of others ideas.

[China]

They also make a lot of useless cr&^p

[Paul39]

They are not bad copiers of others ideas.

I would agree that most manufacturers made runs of tools developed by turners. Some turners found they could make a better living making tools than by turning.

I know early turners made their own hook type tools to use with foot powered pole lathes. I did a search on early wood turning tools and found this:

http://www.glaserhitec.com/the-toolmaker/

I bought a used copy of Peter Child's 1970s book and find it informative. It is interesting how lots of fine work was done pre chucks, pre variable speed, and with carbon steel tools.

This shows a lot about early lathes but little on tools: http://www.turningtools.co.uk/histor...-turning2.html

Most of the early, early tools I have seen in photos were scrapers or a variation.

[DaveTTC]

I would agree that most manufacturers made runs of tools developed by turners. Some turners found they could make a better living making tools than by turning.

I know early turners made their own hook type tools to use with foot powered pole lathes. I did a search on early wood turning tools and found this:

http://www.glaserhitec.com/the-toolmaker/

I bought a used copy of Peter Child's 1970s book and find it informative. It is interesting how lots of fine work was done pre chucks, pre variable speed, and with carbon steel tools.

This shows a lot about early lathes but little on tools: http://www.turningtools.co.uk/histor...-turning2.html

Most of the early, early tools I have seen in photos were scrapers or a variation.

Thanks for the links. I'll check these out in greater detail later

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[elderly]

They are probably the most innovative when it comes to getting money out of your wallet.

[Colin62]

I own quite a few Sorby tools (most of my higher end chisels are Sorby) and I would consider myself to be loyal to the brand, but "innovation" isn't what comes to mind when I hear the name.

[Kidbee]

So far the posts have had a lot of negativity towards Sorby tools. I am sure there are a lot of turners on this forum who have been satisfied Sorby users.

If you search around a bit they seem to have a very large range of products.

If they are not the most innovative, who is? Who has the largest range of tools if it is not Sorby; that I would like to know?

Are Hamlet better than Sorby?

[L.S.Barker1970]

I think these are the best ....

http://www.thompsonlathetools.com/

Melbourne Matty.

[Jim Carroll]

You will find a lot of people have the Robert Sorby range of tools as they market very well.

There is not a woodworking magazine anywhere that does not have an ad for one or more of the sorby range of tools.

They are also very supportive of their dealer network.

An example of this is the turnmaster tools, a copy of the easy wood tools with their own set up in tool holding to make them different. They could see that there was a market for a tool that needs no real turning ability and got more people into woodturning.

They also have the tools at a competitive price as volume is usually high worldwide.

They do have some gimiky tools that do get asked for but in most cases I would advise of a normal tool that can do the job just as easy. Handy being a woodturner and knowing how the tools work properly.

[BamBam53]

The first turning tools I bought were Sorby and I am still using them today. They are just 'standard' high speed steel spindle gouges but do the job.

As for the early turners, I saw Don Webber demonstrating on his pole lathe at a seminar many years back. In one of his sessions he used his blacksmith skills to make a gouge from a car leaf spring and then used it to turn a handle for the gouge. I guess the early turners just worked with the local blacksmith for inovative tools.

[Sawdust Maker]

Thompson are good - nice steel

I especially like P&N as well

IMHO the sorby scrapers are a tad thin, especially compared to the above

[Paul39]

So far the posts have had a lot of negativity towards Sorby tools. I am sure there are a lot of turners on this forum who have been satisfied Sorby users.

If you search around a bit they seem to have a very large range of products.

If they are not the most innovative, who is? Who has the largest range of tools if it is not Sorby; that I would like to know?

Are Hamlet better than Sorby?

Disclosure: I don't own any Sorby tools. At the right price I would buy some.

I make bowls, to make a bowl I need a bowl gouge and half round scraper, and something to make the spigot to grab in the chuck. That can be a skew used as a scraper or a purpose ground flat piece of steel.

There are U shaped and V shaped bowl gouges. Manufacturers make one or the other, some both.

I contend that high speed steel tools by company A, B, or C in roughly the same price range are going to be very close in quality.

When I began turning I had a sharpened screw driver and a bench chisel. One Christmas I had some gifted crazy money and went to buy a 16mm bowl gouge. The store had Sorby and Crown, almost identical shape, size, handle & finish. Crown was $10 less. I bought Crown.

I have since bought used Thompson, no name Sheffield steel unhandled, and Chinese Penn State Industries bowl gouges. All are sharpened with a jig and I can tell no difference in cutting ability or time between sharpenings.

I am a tool junkie, so over time I have bought at very reduced prices Henry Taylor, Thompson, Sears Craftsman and some Chinese sets of 8 for $20. The Chinese are smaller and have too small handles, but cut almost as well as the Famous Brand tools.

All decent high speed steel cuts about the same. Some if not most need some tuning, round off corners on sides of scrapers and gouges, hone the inside flute of gouges.

I was using the toe of one of my skews a lot and over time and sharpening the cutting edge became curved. I like it for some things so I keep it sharpened that way. Innovation by accident? I know someone sells a curved edge skew.

Packard Woodworking has a catalog which has over 20 pages of turning tools, many of them imply that if you would buy this or that tool you would instantly become an expert turner. BAH!

http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merc...ory_Code=tools

[Mobyturns]

Disclosure: I don't own any Sorby tools. At the right price I would buy some.

I was using the toe of one of my skews a lot and over time and sharpening the cutting edge became curved. I like it for some things so I keep it sharpened that way. Innovation by accident? I know someone sells a curved edge skew.

Paul I had a good chuckle over this point.

Bit like the story of the daughter faithfully following Mum's and Grandma's recipie even cutting off the knuckle of the leg of lamb to "roast it better." Then a great aunt says "don't be silly, that was because her baking pan & oven were so small."