Description

Here are a few messages from users: They will take a great deal of work to tune, and won't stay pointy for long, especially on harder woods, but they will do what they were designed for. I had to square the edges and spend a great deal of time grinding and polishing the bevel and the back, but was able to get them to slit reasonably well. These gouges are really not bad; for the cost they are excellent. But you get what you pay for. A european or the better American slitting tools have better steel that is harder with better work characteristics. But you have to pay for it. These gouges are softer, you have to sharpen them more but cost a fraction of the cost. I can not afford to purchase the very best of everything all the time, even though I would like to. These do the same job as my more expensive gouges. Polish the metal, especially the slitting edge. Put a 30 degree bevel on it with a 25 degree microangle. Strop it so that the slitting edge is nicely polished and they work really well. If you don't know how then you should learn, an expensive gouge will not help you there because you still have to at the very least resharpen it when it gets dull. Got these chisels for a small carving projectnl. One chisel was somewhat pointy, the others had visible flat spots where an edge should be. The ground surface was also very rough. A few seconds on my belt sander with an extra fine belt and they were pointy enough to actually use. The silver rings arent nearly as beefy as they appear. Theyre thin sheet metal crimped over a ridge on the handle and loose enough to move with my fingers. I was still able to beat on them with a wooden mallet and rough carve a bowl in hard wood without damaging them. The Bevels had considerable tool marks from shaping, so it took quite a while to sand the surfaces tidy in order for sharpening. The First of all, the bevel isn't on the wrong side, as others have stated. These are In-cannel gouges; the bevel is supposed to be on the inside. The in-cannel is intended for paring an inside, or concave curve. Some call them "pattern maker" gouges, but they were neither designed nor intended specifically for that trade, but rather as a joinery tool. They are not designed for turning and would likely be unsafe to use with a lathe. Ok for the price. Don't expect to anything too fancy at this price point. A lot of other customers have complained about needing to sharpen the tool before using them but if you're into woodworking or just starting, sharpening will become second nature to you. Tools will get dull with use and will need to be honed. So look at it this way, you're going to get a lot of practice developing a skill you will be using throughout your woodworking career by buying these tools. If you do not know how to sharpen gouges there are a couple of good videos on line. First of all, let me start by saying that no matter what type of cutting tool you buy the craftsman is responsible for putting the preferred/required cutting edge on the tool. It does not matter if the tool comes razor sharp or with no edge at all. Every worker needs to know how to sharpen and resharpen or even understand the cutting angles and how to change them or why.