Always start with a 3/8" X 3/8" cutter and grind to fit the application. What ever size cutter your tool uses. I have a coupla drawers of lathe cutters ground in all sorts of configuration. Some times I can dig thru and find one close that can be altered to what need and some times not.
I put a new cutter in the toll and mark the clearance that needs to be ground away first. It is an in and out and back to the bench a few times and before you know it walla you have what you need.
 
For real narrow grooves I have mounted a die grinder to the post and used Dermal red cutoff wheels. I do this to make puller grooves on plastic mold inserts. Inside or outside.
 
non production grind one out of a piece of high speed steel as others have said. if a production application see your favorite carbide supplier for an inserted tool ie. kennametal, iscar carbaloy sandvik ect.
 
They make tool holders and inserts to cut both internal as well as external grooves. The problem is you need a QC setup for the tool holders. Below are links to WT tool, and the stuff they have.

If your using regular tool bits, the other posts have you covered on what to do there.
Inserts

Tol holders
 
The first question I'd ask is how big of a lathe and what material are you cutting? If it's a light duty lathe, like and Atlas or a little Harbor Freight job then get some HSS and grind one yourself. They aren't stiff enough to handle carbide. If it's a real lathe then there are insert tools available to cut grooves, inside and out. But you have to have a tool post that is stiff enough to handle carbide.
 
Just grind a tool bit to the width you need or a little less. You can always make a second cut after moving the carriage. Make sure it has some side clearance and set it dead square to the piece. Feed it very lightly and flood it with cutting oil.
 

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