robo hippy wrote:
I got one of those 'keeps it's edge 3 times longer' gouges. For a
while it replaced my Elsworth signature gouge. It did hold an edge much
longer.I noticed it didn't keep the fresh off the grinder edge any
longer than the other gouge, but kept a good working edge longer.
Because of that, I used it exclusivly. Then one day, I picked up my
freshly sharpened Elsworth gouge for a finish cut, and noticed that it
had a much keener edge than the 3 times longer gouge. Now I mostly use
the 3 times longer gouge for most of the cutting, and the other gouge
for the finish cuts.
robo hippy

Very astute observation there, robo hippy (not sure about that moniker,
though grin). It's something that the more experienced turners are well
aware of. Everything in life is a trade-off, and when it comes to tool
steel, the general rule is that the longer the edge life, the less
ultimate sharpness it can attain. That's why wood carvers use carbon
steel blades. Turners generally don't feel they can get away with that
because of the vast quantity of shavings they can create in just a few
minutes, so HSS is the next best compromise. For roughing work, the
modern "designer" alloys hold their edge the longest but aren't the best
for finish cuts, though good enough in some hands and on some timbers. For
final finish cuts you really should come straight off the grinder, and if
you have to do that with your long life gouge every time you make a finish
cut, it probably won't last any longer than regular HSS.

-mike paulson, fort collins, co