LCHSS8 Wood Lathe 8pc HSS Chisel Set

After reading some of the negative reviews I was a bit worried but when they came in they were in perfect condition.I never trust edged tools for sharpness so I planned on touching up the edges anyway. Only one of the skew chisels had what I would call a 'Bad' edge.I have done a lot of work in Asia and I realize one product is often sold under several names but I found it odd that these were clearly not 'PSI' but 'Bejamins Best'. No matter, they work fantastic.Just to put them through a quick test I grabbed a hunk of limb from an appricot tree that died in my orchard. I used every chisel to test them and thet were all fantastic. As you can see in my pictures my lathe is a low-end Cummins but I had zero issues. Not a single catch and that is impressive since I did not knock the corners off with the bandsaw as you can see.I may still modify the heel but I would do that even with an expensive set.A few things to note that I read in other reviews:1) If you use these correctly there is never enough pressure to snap the steel. To be sure that doesn't happen, watch Richard Rafan's video on 'Catches'.2) Yes the ferrules may be loose (mine were not). If they are, my uncle who was a proffesional wood worker would litterally soak them in water overnight to allow the wood which had over dried to swell up and tighten the ferrules again. I would think a light oil would work better but I didn't question what he did.3) I love the box it comes in but honestly as soon as my shop is set up they will never see that box again. They will be in a handmade rack behind the lathe.So the bottom line is that I am very happy with the purchase and highly recomend them.

These are a great starter set of tools for someone who is starting off working on a wood lathe. I purchased them as a gift, but had the opportunity to use them for a while. For the price, I was more than satisfied -- the set includes covers all the basic needs.The tools are generally well-made. They take a good edge, but (as expected given the price) don't hold it very long. That's a problem if you're a professional woodworker, but is not a big issue for hobbyists. The handles are comfortable and the chisels are pretty well attached.It comes in a box, but don't expect much - it's not very well made. It would have been better if the manufacturer replaced the box with a roll-up pouch that would provide more reliable protection.But, box aside, I'm pleased with these. They won't give a set of high-end turning tools (such as Henry Taylor's) a run for their money, but it's a great value set for a beginner.

These are pretty good tools, especially at this price (70% or less than the cost of a single top-quality chisel). You might want to create some new handles for them; they're not terrible but definitely not top quality. However, the steel is quite serviceable - especially if you're looking for a set of tools to do some unusual grinds or to experiment with new grinds. I used the scrapers, for example, to experiment with a negative grind - at this price, even if you ruin them it's not a lot of money lost (and negative scrapers are quite fun to use, BTW).I gave them 4 stars instead of 5 for 2 reasons - one, the steel (even though it is M2 HSS) is chinese and therefore somewhat inferior to most (and very inferior to top quality european or american steel - it's worth spending some time researching this if you're not familiar with different types of steel and qualities of production). You'll notice this primarily in the fact that these tools will not keep an edge nearly as long as top-quality HSS tools (you'll be honing quite a bit). Though it will be less noticeable, especially to a beginner, they also will not achieve the hair-popping razor sharpness of a top-quality tool and will require a bit more work to get the best edge that they are able to achieve.The second reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is the handles - they are large enough and fairly well-balanced, but you'll likely be replacing them within a few months (or immediately if you're more experienced and particular).Bottom line - this is a perfect set for a beginner. They will do a great job teaching you to turn - how to use each tool, how to grind and hone, etc, and they will be fantastic for helping you learn what grinds/techniques work for you. Once you've figured all that out, you can go drop 20 times the price of these on top-quality tools - and this set can become the one you experiment with.

I found carbide quirky and catchy for what I do, so needed to make the proper, HSS plunge. You have to get comfortable sharpening (definitely don't learn to sharpen on a $90 gouge first). All HSS gouges and chisels need sharpening; expensive ones just less often. I just got done roughing a square piece of wood into a cylinder, lazily dwelling on the outer edges of the gouge instead of doing the "even wear roll".I fully expected the edge to need a touch-up, ran my finger across it, and cut it because I didn't expect it still to be fully sharp. Bled on my wood. Very, very satisfied. Truly high speed steel. Another brand had reports of flaws in the steel and breakage. PSI has good QC for the price and the "Benjamin 's Best" they sell as PSI I will use for life. If I buy a fancy tool or two that cost as much each as this whole set, it won't be soon, and I'll know better my favorite ones to choose and get fancy about. I the meantime I will make money with these. I would not have bought the slow speed grinder to sharpen if I would have just remembered I can sharpen on the back of my lathe or spare, cheapo headstock on the bench set to slow enough speed not to overheat HSS and lose its temper. Good to have the grinder eventually but save for a $150 minimum one, I got an orange #100 one and the wheels are junk and it vibrates a little. Anyway get these PSI "Benjamin's Best" gouge and chisels. This model could disappear like other good deals.