Couple, but mine are the 2030 middle hard. They work just fine. One says Hamlet, other says Packard WW. I use 'em when sharp, sharpen when not, so I guess I just don't keep score.
Reyd, 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
George wrote:
Very astute observation there, robo hippy (not sure about that moniker, though ). 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
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