Lawrence H. Smith wrote:  (clip) With a non-round socket (a lot of them) you
need a registration mark (a line, or a crows-foot) on socket and handle, and
you'll be whittling (or hand scraping) rather than turning when you start to
get close(clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
When I described the "smoke" method, I am afraid I was thinking only of a
round socket.  If, as Lawrence Smith says, they are usually out-of-round,
then I admit, a pocket knife is a better tool than a lathe for fitting the
taper.