Savannah Carbide Turning Tool Large Size (3 Piece Set - All 3 Turning Tools) Includes Diamond Shape, Round and Square Turning Tools With Comfort Grip Handles

I consider myself an intermediate level woodturner and use a Powermatic 3520. I recently bought a set of three Savannah Mini Turning Tools for turning pens, bottle stoppers, rolling pins and similar small to medium sized spindle type projects. I wanted to see how the carbide tipped tools compared to my conventional selection of gouges, skews and scrapers. I found they were much easier and more enjoyable to use for spindle turning.Expanding my experiment, I turned a 10-inch diameter, 2-inch deep bowl a few days ago and used the mini set instead of my much larger Ellsworth Signature bowl gouge that I normally use. I was amazed at how much easier it was to turn this camphor wood bowl. With the Ellsworth gouge, clearing material is a bit quicker and the cut is smoother but I need to be on constant guard to prevent an often disastrous catch. Not so with these carbide tipped tools.As Phase 2 of my experiment, I ordered a large size Savannah 7586 Large Size set, a Simple color coded 12-inch handle set and a full size Simple 17-inch handle set. I intend to use these for bowls larger than 6-inches in diameter.Physical ComparisonSavannah 7586 - Overall length = 21 ½ inches, forward hand palm swell handle diameter = 1.60 inches and rear hand handle diameter = 1.37 inches.Simple 12-inch set – Overall length = 18 ½ inches (handle = 11 ½ inches and effective tool length = 7 inches), forward hand palm swell handle diameter = 1.16 inches and rear hand handle diameter = 1.02 inches.Simple 17-inch set – Overall length = 26 ¼ inches and the handle diameter is 1.31 inches along its entire length. It has much greater mass than the other two sets.Subjective Assessment1. All three sets are very high quality. Any of these will likely be in use for a decade or more.2. Replacement cutter heads for all three products seem to be readily available.3. Both the Savannah and Simple 17-inch sets were the length I expected after reading the Amazon description. However, the Simple 12-inch set was significantly shorter than I had expected.4. I have large hands and the Savannah wooden handles feel the most comfortable for me. It has a thin rubber coating under the rear hand that aids in maintaining a firm grip.5. The Simple 12-inch (really 11 ½ inch) handle diameter is too small in my opinion. There is no rubber coating. My lathe is in my Florida garage and I am concerned these handles may be slippery when my hands sweat in the summer heat and humidity.6. The Simple 17-inch handle diameter was better but still a bit too small for me. Also, the foam wrap compresses significantly. I’m not sure this will provide as firm a grip as the other two and I’m also concerned that the foam will not hold up for the years I expect to use these tools. The underlying handle diameter is 1-inch.7. The square and circular cutter heads of the Simple 12-inch tools are the same dimensions as those of my Savannah Mini set at just over 0.4-inches.8. The square and circular cutter heads of the Simple 17-inch and Savannah 8576 Large Size set are the same size. The roughing cutter head is about 0.6 inches and the circular cutter head diameter is just below 0.6-inches.9. The roughing cutter edge on the Savannah gouge has a slightly rounded or radiused whereas both Simple gouge cutters have straight edges.10. The sets are effectively three different lengths and sizes. My opinion is that the smaller Simple set is suitable for small to medium diameter spindle projects and bowls up to three inches deep. The large Savannah set can handle any spindle project larger than a pen or twig pot and bowls up to four inches deep. The 17-inch Simple set would only be appropriate for very large spindle projects (larger than my Powermatic 3520 will handle) and bowls in excess of 8 inches diameter and four inches or more deep where the extra reach and mass are a benefit. The throw length of the tool and handle make it awkward and less suitable for smaller projects.I am going to keep the Savannah set because it meets my needs and feels the best in my hands. The other two are too small or too big for my situation and I am returning them to Amazon. However, both appear to be excellent quality and would perform very satisfactorily in the appropriate situation.Of course, this is only my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

One star reviews of people saying the rubber caps are too tight and they cut themselves. Jesus Christ what have we devolved too. Great tools, they feel very nice and provide some great leverage compared to the shorter tools. Been making bowl and pens with some great turnouts.

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Works great, easy to use, well made..Just be careful when removing the carbide cutter not to strip the Allen screw.

I’m new to wood turning, a friend had this set so I got them too. Some of the nice features are a flat side on the bottom to keep the cutter head square on the tool rest. They are a good length, the handles are not the heaviest wood which causes a little more vibration, but they have padded grips.

These are fantastic carbide-tipped wood turning tools. I haven't been turning for too long, but compared to my set of high-speed steel (HSS) tools, these are so much easier to use. I can do just about anything with these three tools. I will probably add one or two more carbide-tipped tools to my collection, especially the Hunter Tools #2 Osprey.I don't like the idea of having to sharpen wood turning tools, especially the steep learning curve and costly equipment (grinder, jigs, etc.). To me, the extra cost of carbide-tipped tools is worth it for not having to sharpen anything! Simply rotate the tip when it gets dull and eventually replace it. No hassles!The only reason I'm taking off one star is the way these tools are packaged. Each tool comes with a stupid flexible black plastic cap over the tip that is so snug they are hard to pull off. BUYER BEWARE: These are super sharp tools! If you try to pull one of these "protective" caps off the tip with your fingers, you will get cut if your finger touches the tip! (Trust me on this, I learned from personal experience!) They should instead ship these with a clear hard plastic protective cap that can be removed and replaced easily. (You'll have a hard time putting these tight flexible caps back on the tool anyhow.) Or they should at least include a warning sticker to tell the buyer to use extreme caution when removing them.Otherwise, I'm very happy with these tools. The handles are comfortable and the tools are well-balanced. Highly recommend (but be careful removing the end caps when you receive them)!

Definitely high-quality. These are way above average construction. I have made half a dozen balls and they are still as sharp as a day I bought purchase them

This is my first set of carbide turning tools and I am very impressed. These three tips (round, square, and pointed) pretty much do everything I want. I have been using HSS tools for years and I immediately noticed a big difference the first time using the carbide. I get a cleaner cut on soft wood and weight and balance of these tools is very good. I like that I don't have to sharpen the tool, just loosen the screw and rotate the insert and get back to turning. I still reach for some of my other tools, but these do an easy 90% of all my turning. I have a big roughing gouge that cost 3/4 of what these three tools cost together, so I feel the price is very good considering what I got. Im not a "professional" turner and Im sure I dont sharpen my tools as well as some of the do can, so I really appreciate the carbide tips because they are extremely sharp and I remove a lot of wood way faster than I could with my other tools...so for a beginner or medium skilled turner, these are fantastic. I was a little frustrated with sharpening tools back when I started and these carbide tools sure would have been great for me starting off.