Auriou carving tools

[Mike Cherry]

I feel myself slipping down the slope of carving. I'm curious if the Auriou line of tools are as well made and highly regarded as their rasps. Anyone with any experience with these? If not, what's another good brand? I know Pfeil is a decent brand. Are vintage tools on flea bay worth a look?

[Mike Henderson]

Once you start getting a set of carving tools, you'll want them to be consistent. That is, the curvature of one #7 gouge has some relationship to another #7 gouge. The problem is that different companies sweeps don't always line up. Additionally, there are two popular systems for marking gouges, the Swiss system and the Sheffield system. A #3 gouge in one system is very different from a #3 in the other system.

Because of that, I would recommend that you try to find a brand of carving tools that feel good to you and generally buy that brand. I mostly use Pfeil, although I have other brands (Pfeil uses the Swiss marking system). For those other brands, I've re-marked them so that they fit into the Pfeil system. That is, I keep all my carving tools in the Swiss system.

If you find some vintage gouges in good condition you can fit them into whatever system you choose to use - but first you have to choose a system.

You fit a tool into a system by comparing the sweep to gouges in the system and then mark the fitted tool to match your chosen system. Even if you don't mark it, you generally need to place it in some order with the other tools, which is almost the same thing as re-marking it.

I see you're in Temecula which is not too far from me. If you want to see the tools I have and how I've organized them - and maybe also handle some of them - let me know and we can set up a visit. I can show you how to sharpen because if you can't sharpen, you can't carve.

Mike

[I also have some carving tutorials on my web site.]

[Mike Cherry]

Mike I would jump at the chance to check your setup out. I'll shoot you a pm!

[Tom McMahon]

Mike, I have some of the Auriou letter carving tools, they are well made but they require much more work to put into service than the Pfeil, however I think they hold an edge better. I think many of the older brands are better than what's available new but it takes work to find what you need on the used market. I think the best tools I have are pre Addis Ward brothers, next Maiers, Addis, the old Buck then Auriou and Pfeil and Henry Taylor . Pfeil V tools are almost unusable as delivered the keel is much to wide and needs to be reshaped. The older V tools in particular are much better formed. The Ward and Maiers sharpen better and hold an edge much better. All of the brands I have mentioned are good the main difference is how they sharpen and how much work it takes to put them in service. I don't think any new carving tools come ready to use some are closer but all need some work.

[Mike Cherry]

Thanks for the reply Tom.
I watched a couple of the beginner videos over on Mary Mays site and she recommends these tools for beginners:

5 or 6mm v-chisel
#3, 6mm
#3, 14mm
#5, 14mm
#7, 6mm
#7, 14mm




Obviously you can add many more as fast as your money would allow! I want to get a basic set like the one listed above, or something similar (I defer to y'alls experience around these part). Addis was a company Mary mentioned a couple times. These are vintage tools I assume as I could not find any modern offerings out on the Internet.

Now, when it comes to vintage, I've found some real lost causes as far as chisels go. Am I looking at the same thing with gouges and such?

[Tom McMahon]

Mike, Here are some things I wrote in earlier posts that may help.
The following is just my opinion, but it's based on 56 years of carving. I would call a basic set of tools the following list: a medium sized, V tool, double bevel chisel, and double bevel skew chisel. a small, a medium, and a large gouge in a slow, medium and fast sweep, and a small veiner. A good choice for sweeps would be 3,5,7. For the sizes mix them up, in other words don't make all your smalls the same or the mediums or the larges.
I just went out to the shop and counted my tools, I have 194 full sized plus some palm tools. About 50 are modern brands including Pfeil, Taylor, Auriou, Ashley Iles. The rest are old tools including Buck, Addis, Ward, Herring, Maiers. I have probably more very early Buck than any other. They are all good tools but each brand has it's own good and bad points and each has a different feel in the hand. My personal favorites are the Wards and Maiers, but the best V tools are Addis. All the modern V tools have keels that are too wide and require extensive reshaping to put into service. The Taylors are stout and have a heavy feel if you like that. The Aurious are only rough ground and need a lot of work to put into service. The old tools depend on who had them before you. I believe the Ward and Addis take the best edge. The Maiers have a delicate feel. Of all the tools I have there are none that I never use, some I don't use often but when you need them they are there. I have several of certain tools that I will grind for a special purpose for instance I have 10mm 7s ground with different left and right skews, V tools with forward and backward wings.
In most cases carving gouges are sharpened with both an outside and an inside bevel so pits and scratches make no difference on the body of the gouge. The inside bevel allows you to use the gouge upside down more efficiently. Wet or dry on a dowel lets you work the inside bevel.

[Mike Cherry]

Thanks, that is quite helpful! Between the info I received here and a visit to Mikes shop, I should be well on my way to doing some interesting stuff soon! Thanks y'all!