Record Chisels

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alec

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Hello guys , anyone have any experience of Record chisels, I ask as the rest of their tools seem quite popular. The chisels I have are Ashley Iles but am looking to buy a 3/8 bowl guage and wondered about Record.
 
I got a set with my lathe, Been fine but iv'e added to with Sorby bowl gauge, and a scraper.

At my level ( noob ) , its the turner not the tool - However more experienced members will probably tell you the differences in the vendors variety.

Loz
 
I've got a Record roughing gouge - it's as good as any of my other chisels (mainly Crown,also some Henry Taylor/Robert Sorby/Axminster/Perform);as long as you are buying HSS,don't think there is anything wrong with any make.

Andrew
 
Hi,

I started with a set of Record tools which came 'used' with a second-hand DML36. I've since upgraded the lathe but kept the tools and also bought a couple of other large Record gouges/scrapers. I've also acquired a couple of Sorby's and an Ashley Iles.

In my experience they're all absolutely fit for purpose, the only discernable difference appears to be slightly differently shaped handles! I'm sure all the HSS is of slightly different composition and a metallurgist could tell them apart... but I can't. :D

Ignore any tool 'snobbery' and use whatever feels right to you.

Happy turning!

Neil.
 
Hi Alec,

I started out with a set of Sorby chisels when I bought my Record DML36SH. Last year I bought a s/h CL4 which came with a set of Record chisels and additional heavy duty 3/8" and 1/2" bowl gouges.

In use I have found no practical difference between the two makes of chisels, both being entirely fit for purpose.

Where I have duplicate sizes I have reground the profiles for different usage.

I suspect it will be a long time before my skill level allows me to detect any difference, if at all.

Regards,

Mike C
 
If you're happy with the Ashely Isles then why not continue with them?
They're a small British company, who are very helpful to their customers and the sort which needs our support in these times.

FWIW I've got their 3/8" bowl gauge which I think is really good and I'm very happy with it.

The difference between brands you might want to consider is the shape of the flute of the gauge, although I dont know enough about this to advise on the effect of the differences...
 
I DON'T like Record gouges!

I use a few other tools from Record, parting, scraping and so on, and they are fine. Never liked the shape of the flute in either their spindle or bowl gouge. OK if you just want a straight across grind, but as soon as you try to get a decent fingernail/long grind shape it's really hard work.

I have managed to get a half decent fingernail grind on their spindle gouge, but it's not easy. The bowl gouges I have just given up with, a few members at the club I go to have got the bowl gouges and have had trouble trying to get some shape into the tip. I gave it a go for them, by hand/ and a jig, and gave up with lots of apologies.

My dislike has nothing to do with the steel just the shape they have the given flute. Although, their biggest bowl gouge can be used with a very short double bevel/conventional grind to get to the bottom of deep forms without vibration.

IMO the only way to use a Record bowl gouge is to shape it to a straight across grind with a double bevel, BUT AS WITH ALL IN TURNING, IT IS WHAT YOUR USED TO and your personal likes.

I used a axe head as a skew to prove a point one time, and it worked fine. Wouldn't like to do a production run with one though. :lol: So at the end of the day they all cut.
 
I had never really stopped to look at the difference in shape of the gouges Tam. Thanks for that, might explain the problem I have with the one Record gouge I own.

Pete
 
Not saying there is a problem with Record gouges per se, Pete. Just that I can't get a decent long grind on them because of the flute shape, and all my bowl gouges apart from the 1/4" ones have a long grind.

If the price was right I would buy one of their biggest bowl gouges, but only to use with a conventional square across grind, and with a double bevel.

Yet as I said at the end of the day it all comes down to personal preference.
 
I've got a few Record gouges - 2 of their 1/2" bowl gouges and 1 3/8" bowl gouge plus a spindle gouge. I didn't have any problem putting a long grind on two of the bowl gouges or the spindle gouge using theTormek jigs. I kept the second Record 1/2" bowl gouge as a straight grind for using in the bottoms of bowls.

I also use a variety of Ashley Iles, Crown & Henry Taylor gouges and had noticed that there is a variety of shapes of bowl gouge. The Crown ones have a wider bottom to the U shape than most and the Record ones are rather narrow. I find some gouge shapes are better with some woods and some with others.

I like the price, weight & supplied handle length of the Record gouges, and use these plus a Crown 5/8" gouge & a short handled Ashley Iles 3/8" gouge most frequently.

I can't say I've noticed a difference in the quality of the steel, or in ease of sharpening between any of the makes (although the very long handle of the Crown 5/8" is somewhat awkward when sharpening it!)

tekno.mage
 
Alec,

I find that the Record tools I have seem to keep an edge better than the Crown tools I have (I have a couple of Sorby tools which seem slightly better still).

Cheers,

Dod
 
Hi Guys,

Follow up from my earlier reply.
Tam mentioned the difference in the flute profiles of the Record and Sorby Bowl gouges. Earlier I said I didn't find any difference in performance :?

Today I was turning a platter with some very difficult end grain and was making a bit of a pigs ear of the process using the Record gouge.

I remembered Tam's comments and tried the Sorby gouge and must say that he has a point. In this instance the Sorby bowl gouge, in my admittedly clumsy hands, allowed me to get a cleaner cut due to the slightly wider flute shape.

Thanks Tam :D

Regards,

Mike C
 
Very interesting reading ....
It hadn't occurred to me that different manufacturer's gouges may perform markedly differently.... that is good to learn.

Perhaps that does explain though.. I have a few different manufacturer's tools and some definately feel 'better' in the hand than others...
To 'generalise' a little... the preference in 'feel' would be ( nicest first )

Sorby
Hamlet
Record
Crown
Henry Taylor

I thought I was 'imagining things' ... but on reading the above posts, perhaps not !
Very Interesting !! 8)
 
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