The best tool for turning a bowl largely depends on personal preference and experience level in woodturning. However, one popular tool specifically designed for turning bowls is a bowl gouge. Bowl gouges have thick shafts and long handles that allow control during cutting operations on larger pieces of wood like bowls. They typically feature deeper flutes than spindle gouges, enabling efficient material removal while shaping the interior of the bowl profile. A properly sharpened bowl gouge can result in smooth cuts and precise control when turning bowls on a lathe. Other tools such as scrapers or parting tools may be used in conjunction with the bowl gouge depending on specific cutting techniques desired by the turner.