I bought this tool to use on my HFT 7x10 mini lathe. That works great! Obviously this tool is very thin and can break with aggressive use as it is tiny and solid carbide, but it excels at fine boring operations. It was packaged in a small plastic tube, which protected it well from damage in transit. I've used it to cut grade 5 aluminum and titanium with no problems. Keep in mind that the shank is only 5/16" so you'll need a tool holder to support it (or make a 1/2" rod holder adapter like I did). It has a nice notch at the top that makes it very easy to align with the vertical set screw. Very happy with this purchase.