Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998
he has only sharpened the tool twice in 8 months *LINK*
john lucas
I had to laugh. It's actually a good video on his sharpening technique but when sharpening the roughing gouge he mentions that he's only sharpened it twice since January and video was made in August. He says he uses it all the time. Man that's some nice steel. 
Either that or doesn't know when a tool gets dull.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWMhcT9ShAg
Re: he has only sharpened the tool twice in 8 mont
Bill Blasic
I used my big Thompson Spindle Roughing Gouge for over 3 years without sharpening it (now I don't use it every day). I found that it really didn't need it as it cut exactly the same after sharpening (I only had to make a single pass on the CBN wheel). Me thinks that I'll go for 4 years this time 
Re: he has only sharpened the tool twice in 8 mont
Ric Taylor
I haven't sharpened my skew gouge for 3 or 4 years, but then the only thing I use it for is opening boxes when the UPS guy makes a delivery.
The end result is what counts.
Geoff Whaling
Its all relative! My bowl gouges last for months between sharpening. Skews not so long though.
Got to give him credit for ingenuity & innovation though. It works and produces what appears to be well profiled tools with an inexpensive solution much more economical than most of the commercially hyped products.
Not so sure about the inherent safety though, but as his intro states he is not responsible for your safety - you are.
Also noticed - those hands have character.
I sharpen my bowl gouge several times a day
john lucas
sometimes several times on a bowl. I have gouges made from all sorts of steel and they all need sharpening frequently to get the best cuts. I can't even imagine going a month, or even a few days without sharpening unless I don't use them. that goes for all my tools. My parting tool and spindle roughing gouge probably get sharpened the least but still even those get touched up at least once a day if I'm doing a production run.
Re: I sharpen my bowl gouge several times a day
John K Jordan
Me too, probably not as often as you but then I don't turn nearly as much as you do and few large bowls. My most-used tools are Doug Thompson's.
I do not understand such infrequent sharpening - almost makes me wonder if I don't know how to sharpen or I don't know how to turn. Or something. To me, there is nothing more satisfying than using a fresh razor-sharp tool and nothing more frustrating than trying to get a clean cut with a tired edge. A dull tool seems to invite tearout then I have to shear scrape a lot or, gasp, use sandpaper!
I want my roughing gouges to be as sharp as possible too. I mostly use the 5/8" Mark St.Leger Thompson and get close to finished surfaces on curves where I don't need the spindle gouge or skew.
When I actually make a bowl ...
Geoff Whaling
... I sharpen as required. Just don't do many bowls & the ones I do make tend to be laminated & under 120 mm but mostly 80 -100 mm. So my gouges don't cover the mileage yours do John.
