Carbide Lathe Turning Tool Set of 3 Full Size with 17' Foam Grip Handles, USA Made

I don't normally write review so it has to be something really good or bag to get me writing. These tools are fabulous. Went from cheap carbide to traditional tools. Invested in a dedicated slow speed bench grinder with new grinding wheels and tool sharpening guide. Results were better than the cheap carbides but I still was frustrated.I saw these and took the chance these might be better. It's been a world of difference! They gouge so nicely with such little effort. No catching. Blades stay nice and sharp. The tools are well built and perform as advertised. Simple has great accessories as well. These tools are a no-brainer! You won't be disappointed.

Item arrived 3 days before stated. Impressive. Upon trying out the tools they performed great. Tools are heavy duty the grips/handles are solid and comfortable with the rubberized grips. Very satisfied with these carbide cutters and would recommend them. Based the tool quality and price point compared to the other well known turning tool company these are a great value. Very pleased with this purchase.

Have not had a chance to use them yet but looking forward to use. These are hefty and well made. I was surprised at the weight of each and the comfortable handles. Would deffinatly buy again if they work as nice as they look.

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 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.

I work with tools all the time, sometimes all day.. I enjoy wood turning but I also realize the importance of quality tools, Simple Woodturning tools met that mark and I'm definitely happy with my purchase. I've only got a few hours on these carbide blades but have been used on a very tough/dry project as well as some semi-damp elm (pictured), still cutting as they originally did and haven't turned to use a new carbide surface.. I did buy a couple extras (1 rougher and 1 round) just in case of damage/chip.. I have some HSS gouges and scrapers but honestly enjoy turning as a relaxing hobby and if I can get the surface quality of gouges without sharpening, I'm sold.I initially purchased (and kept) a cheap mini set, just to try and see how good or bad the quality was.. whether the horror stories of tear out were true, user error or a combination. What I found was like the images you see above, I used a lamp to show the worst areas, holding the light at an angle, this was the worst of any wood I have used with these tools, on Elm (Chinese, I think) and the graining is not very tight and I think these tools hold up and cut really well.. I think they cut fast and work great. Harder woods like oak have cut very smooth with these, I'm really careful to keep the tool centered to workpiece and level to floor and really use light pressure and let tool do the work on finishing passes.The weight of these tools was way heavier than I expected, a combination of the large tool size and grip left the operation really comfortable, they felt and have been no less than a quality product.

I got these tools as an upgrade from a very small set of carbide tools. If you are a beginner, then be warned that these tools are extremely large, heavy-duty and solid, so they require some experience in holding them. Other than that, these are the absolute best carbide tools I have ever seen. They may be even better than easy wood tools, because they have the same, if not better, quality, and at the cost of one full size easy wood tool, a bargain. The cutters are very sharp, especially the square rougher. In fact, as I took off the cover, my finger slipped and was cut on the corner. The toolbar can be extended a good distance from the tool rest. Using the tools is an absolute dream. Buy these tools!