A woodturner's hand holding a tool against a pale bowl blank spinning on a lathe, with curls of shaving thrown off the cut

A woodturning journal

Good work starts at the edge.

Tools, turning, and the little decisions that make a clean cut. From a working shop, without the mystery.

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Field note 01The Russian lathe knife

The journal / 01

A practical look at a particular tool.

Woodturning / Tool study / 4 min read

Russian Lathe Knife (Skew Tool)

If you are familiar with Russian woodworking videos on YouTube, you have likely seen a particular tool that is hard to find elsewhere in English speaking countries. It looks unusual. It cuts beautifully.

I have taken to calling it a Russian lathe knife. It is part skew, part knife, and worth a closer look.

Explore the cut Watch the tool in action

Pictures & video

See where the steel meets wood.

A tool makes more sense when you can watch the edge. Here are a few close views from the lathe.

A forged lathe knife shaping the curve of a pale turned vase on the lathe — Fig. 01Finding the bevel

The lathe knife taking a clean pass along the rim of a turned bowl — Fig. 02A clean first pass

A finished memorial ring resting on the headstock cover of the lathe in the shop — Fig. 03A finished piece, off the lathe

On the shop / video

Watch the cut take shape.

A video by Techupdate on YouTube. It opens in place when you press play.

At the lathe

The cut is the conversation.

Not a lecture. Just the small, useful things to notice when you bring an unfamiliar edge to the wood.

A workbench laid with rows of wooden handled turning tools and chisels

01Let the bevel find its place

Start with the tool supported on the rest. Bring the bevel to the wood before asking the edge to cut.

02Keep the touch light

Let the sharp edge do the work. Heavy pressure tears fibres and dulls steel, while a light, steady touch leaves a cleaner surface.

03Watch the shaving

A long, even ribbon says the cut is clean. Dust or torn grain says the bevel has lost its place.

04Make the edge your own

Every hand holds a tool a little differently. Take light passes, notice what changes, and adjust until the cut feels like yours.

General workshop observations, not a substitute for safe lathe practice. Use appropriate guards and follow your equipment guidance.

A tool makes more sense when you can watch the edge meet the wood.

The idea behind this journal

A father and his son in respirators standing together beside the wood lathe in their home shop

About this place

A shop is a good place to share.

Memorial Woodworking began with a ring, made with a piece of a recycled aluminum can inside it, in memory of a grandfather. A father and son still work together on every project, and this journal is where they write down what the lathe teaches them.

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A note from the shop

More making. Less noise.

Interested in a Russian lathe knife? Leave your name and email and we will write to you if there is news to share. Nothing else.