Why is the guy in the picture fencing with his lathe? Is he some sort of modern-day Don Quixote with delusions of slaying a swarf-breathing dragon? Okay, so he’s just cleaning the chips from his machine using a chip hook. The guard on the chip hook is there to keep his unprotected hand from getting cut by the sharp shavings.
There are a number of chip hook manufacturers. The best-looking products are from NOGA; they include the NogoGrip handle, are black finished, and can be sold with a detachable “shovel” blade.
Since I can’t find NOGA chip hooks for sale anywhere, I’ll highlight another manufacturer: H & R Mfg & Supply. They make another chip hook unfortunately named the “Chip Hook-R” in 18″, 24″, and 30″ lengths, all of which you can purchase for around $20 to $25 from the Tool Guys.
Chip Hooks [NOGA]
Chip Hook-R [H & R Mfg & Supply]
Chip Hooks [Tool Guys]