Excellent tools, Matt!
I use the largest and cheapest pry bars that I can find, and those end up being from my local Menard's big box lumber yard. They sell the large bars individually, so you don't have to purchase a "set" of bars. The extra length and weight help considerable with being easy to use.
My local woodworker's specialty store sells the inserts for bars such as Easy Turn, but the inserts from Arizona Carbide are the same and are much cheaper.
I don't do much lathe work, so my technique tends to be pretty remedial, but gets the job done.
For those who are unfamiliar with lathe work there are two general categories, turning and scraping. Actual turning produces better results, often with a mirror-smooth surface, but requires a bit of skill to establish proper cutting geometry between tool and work. It is also MUCH easier for the tool to "catch", so it's more hazardous and it is much easier to ruin your work. Lathe tools also require skill to learn how to properly sharpen them, the proper materials to sharpen them, and need frequent sharpening. It's not unusual to have to touch up the tool edge after only a couple minutes of turning time.
The carbide insert tools are actually scrapers, and although they don't produce the finish that a proper lathe tool does, they are inexpensive, produce good results for beginners, and the cutter can be rotated to present a new cutting edge, although the edge will remain sharp for a long time compared to a standard lathe tool.
I got my lathe to experiment with banjo rims, although I use other methods to produce those that don't require a lathe. I break it out for the occasional set of table legs, shop stool round seat, or a control knob or two. I'm very happy to use the carbide scrapers and don't have the ambition to learn proper "lathe technique".
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