Some gouges

[Kees Heiden]

Sometimes you get lucky. I own a mixed assortment of old gouges, but there is no rime or reason to that assortment. Usually I don't have the one that fits best. Recently I started some work a la Follansbee. You don't need many for designs like he does, but it does have to be at least a fitting range. For example, I don't have any to make small circles.

Then someone on the Dutch woodworking.nl forum posted that he bought a full students set of gouges from a well known Belgium carver. The best thing from his post was, he mentioned another set for sale! So I was on the phone immediately and scoared this set.

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29 gouges, in a toolrol and he also added a carvers mallet. For 330 Euro, so that is about 11 euro each. The brand is Dastra, a well known German name. Everything sharpened, plenty of length and most important, it is a well rounded collection of sizes.

The price might not be totally suckable, but it is a very good price nonetheless. I'm happy.

[Jim Koepke]

That is a nice score.

My set is another one that is put together willy nilly.

When odd lots are bought or even one at a time from the auction site it is hard to know what it is until it shows up in the mail. Fortunately my set hasn't picked up too many doubles.

jtk

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

11 euro each, that's like 13 USD, if I remember right. Sounds like a good deal to me, especially if they're sharp; I'd pay a premium for sharp gouges, simply because a rehab is annoying, to me, on curved edge tools.

[Kees Heiden]

With the bevel on the outside it is not such a big deal to grind them. But having to restore 29 edges is indeed a bit of a job! Especially now, I am not in restoration mood at the moment.

[george wilson]

Kees,I use an old flat face Craftsman bench grinder. It has 2 piece tool rests,which are very valuable,though they are just simple 1/8" strips of steel bent,and slotted. You can extend them WAYYYY out in front of the wheel. Then,I can adjust the rests so that I get the bevel angle I want against the wheel,while resting the bolster of the chisel against the extended outermost edge of the tool rest. I can grind a straight chisel,or roll the edge of a gouge against the wheel. This produces an immaculately clean,facet free,continuous grind on the bevel.

Most grinders made today have one piece tool rests,which are nearly useless for such grinding. If you can find a grinder with 2 piece rests,buy it.

Great buy,by the way. That brand is,or was sold in this country years ago by a gunsmithing supply company,though I can't remember the name right now.

[Kees Heiden]

Frank Mittermeier is now seliing them in the USA. http://dastrausa.com/

Dastra is a small company, making this stuff since 1835. They are in a very small, old timberframed building.

BTW, I have a neat grinder, a Cruesen. It has a double rest which indeed is very usefull.

[george wilson]

Yes,you are correct. I could not recall yesterday. Haven't thought about that company since the 70's,I guess.

[Jim Matthews]

11 Euro each?

​* you suck *

[Kees Heiden]

thank you.