Accessories

Another good buy from PSI !
At half the price of a SIX piece set of woodturning chisels from my local store, this EIGHT piece set seemed like another no brainer for a beginning turner. Other reviews had mentioned that the storage box that comes with the tools would likely be destroyed in the shipping process, but mine arrived in first class condition. I took the set to a tool sharpening class and everyone there, including the instructor, was very impressed with both the quality and the price. Several people said they were going to order a set!

Quality Set For The Price
Let me first say that I am new to woodturning and that this is my first set of chisels. After using them about a dozen times already, I would have to say that they are really great. I've had no trouble with them at all and the tips seem to be just as sharp as when they were new. The length of the chisels plus their weight makes them relatively easy to control. The box that they came with is not the best in world but it is alright for the money. I would suggest these to anyone getting started in woodturning or even an experienced woodturner who would like to save save money.

Not bad but not great either
For what it's worth, I have a set of Rockwell lathe tools that I bought new in 1973 but needed some specialty tools so I bought a set of Benjamin's Best HSS tools from Amazon for them. I am also selling my old Rockwell lathe and thought I'd get new general purpose tools to go with the new lathe and include the old tools with the old lathe. So I bought a set of Windsor Design HSS tools so I could compare the old and the new before I parted with the old ones.

There is very little cosmetic difference between Benjamin's Best HSS and Windsor Design HSS - same size, and the same wood handles. Finish was not as good on the WD and the labeling was painted on the blades rather than etched into the blades as they are on the BB chisels. But are they any good?

The method - both of the sets came semi sharp and will cut wood as delivered but I wanted to compare and keep the best tools. So I used the skew chisel from each set as the reference, re-ground and honed the edge of all three chisels. First I shaved aluminum with each of the skew chisels because I'm impatient and wanted them to dull quickly. After 4-5 slices each I checked and decided aluminum wasn't dulling them fast enough so I got a brass rod and shaved some off it with each chisel - now they showed that there was some wear. Then I took a chunk of 45# particle board and shaved on the edge of it with each chisel until I had an observable defect.

The results - the Rockwell chisel looked sharp (no chips) but did not cut very well. Benjimin's Best cut fine but had tiny, un-feelable (seeable with a magnifying glass) chips in the edge. Windsor Design's had noticeable chips in the edge. But both of the HSS tools were still sharp enough to cut particle board! (Or at least knock chunks off it.)

Good luck with your decision.

losing the handle
After using several of the tools from this selection three of the tools began to loosen from the handles. I have been turning some seasoned stock and maybe these tools can't handle hardwoods. They seemed to work fine with green stock. Other than the loosening of the handles they perform fine. I solved the problem by shimming the tool stock back into the receiving end of the handle.

You get what you pay for
At $6.50 a tool you get what you pay for, not a bad purchase for the price. Next time I will pay more and get better quality. I had to re-temper the tips, because they would hold an edge.