The Thompson 1/2in bowl gouge is built for bigger work. When you're opening up a large blank, tackling a deep platter, or pushing through a dense piece of timber, this is the tool that takes the heavy lifting in its stride.

The full-radius U flute shears cleanly across the full width of the cut, which means you can take a confident pass on the outside of a bowl or across a wide platter and come away with a surface that barely needs touching. It's equally capable on finishing cuts — the size gives you control and mass, which damps vibration and keeps the cut steady even on out-of-balance blanks.

The 16.5mm shank is the largest in the Thompson bowl gouge range, which adds stiffness and reduces chatter on deeper cuts. It fits the Simon Hope handle system on both grub screw and quick release handles.

Made from CPM-10V powder metal steel — hardened to 62–64 Rockwell, triple tempered, and cryogenically treated. If you've been using conventional HSS, the first session with this steel will tell you immediately why turners don't go back.

Handcrafted in the USA by Thompson Lathe Tools in a 13-step process.


Steel: CPM-10V (A-11) powder metal, 10% vanadium
Hardness: 62–64 Rockwell, triple tempered, cryogenic treated
Shank: 16.5mm — fits Simon Hope grub screw and quick release handles
Free UK P&P included
Rest of world: contact for a shipping quote