Joe Fleming wrote:
When I have had a chance to talk to tool vendors, they have often
seemed frustrated that they can't get the big names to try and/or adopt
their tools. Consequently, these tools often do not get the
endorsements that tool vendors would like.

I often get the impression that many new tools are designed to fix
problems that don't really exist. They are typically aimed at novices
who will gladly buy a new tool if they are told it will turn them into a
great woodturner. I have one or two such tools on my rack that have been
collecting dust since my early days.

Some of the biggest rip-offs (IMO) often bear the name of a big name
turner. Typically they are a standard tool with a special grind that is
probably going to be lost the first time it is sharpened. The only
turner I know who has done this right is Melvyn Firmager who sells
pewter models of his special grinds for you to compare against your
latest grinding efforts.

There is a lot of BS in tool catalogs. How many of them show a cross
section of a tool? After all, this is what you are really buying. You
are stuck with this until the tool is too short to use. The fancy grind
is only a convenience in that it may save a bit of grinding time to
start with, but essentially is a very short lived feature of the new tool.


--
Derek Andrews, woodturner

http://www.seafoamwoodturning.com
http://chipshop.blogspot.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/toolrest/