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I've been checking out a few different bent gouges. I'm going to use them to rough out the stock of one of my tops. Recently someone gave me the tip to get a bent gouge as I'm less likely to plough through the top with one! He said the slight bend helps keep things moving in the right direction. I'm just baffled as to which one I should get! I got it down to three brands...
-Henry Taylor
-Robert Sorby
-Two Cherries
I want it to be at least a 1" gouge with either a #5 or #7 bend. I was ready to go with the Henry Taylor's until I read a scathing review somewhere on them. I know you can't always go by those but sometimes they're true. I already have a bunch of nice octagon Sorby bench chisels, so if I got a Sorby it would fit in at least. What about Two Cherries? I recall reading about what wonderful stuff they make? I would also love to hear about any bent gouges anyone on the board owns.
-John

I bought a Pfeil bent gouge .. Swiss made, 20mm, #7, from a wood carver at a local woodworking show - I thought it was far better than the Taylor that Lee Valley had at the next booth (I already had a couple of those anyway). I havent seen 2 Cherries in Canada, so cant say much about them.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

My Henry Taylor chisels are the ones I always reach for, my Henry Taylor paring chisels are the only ones I use for shaping my braces, they take and hold a spectacular edge. I would not hesitate to get anything from them.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

When you say bent are you talking about the sweep? Or a front bent or back bent gouge?

I use a 3/4" #7 sweep, Henry Taylor bent gouge. It's a great tool and holds an edge very well.

Pfeil from Woodcraft - I used to do a lot of woodcarving and, FWIW, these are the ones I like.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Long bent or short bent?

Chris, I don't know what you mean by long bent or short bent, but I have some Henry Taylor carving gouges, both bent and straight, and they are all fairly short...? Perhaps you are referring to the bent part of the blade itself, which can be the whole blade, or only the tip of the blade, the latter are also called "spoon gouges" (I googled Lee Valley).

At any rate, my favorite one is probably the 3/4" #7 sweep bent gouge (long bent? The whole blade is curved along its length), and it holds the edge quite well. Sharpening is another story, of course...

BTW, these are usually sold without handles, up here anyways, so the first thing you get to do is make one.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

When you refer to a gouge being bent it is in referance to the longitudinal axis of the blade. All gouges have sweeps if not they would be chisels.

The blade of mine is bent along its length -it then also has its curvature, represented by the number, ie a number 7 gouge, 20mm wide - but its still a chisel, just a bent one - look at the descriptions inthe LV catalog - bent gouge carving chisel. The blade on mine is about 5 inches long, and it came mounted ina handle, honed and ready to go. I dont use it for a lot of things, but as I had mentioned before, I have had it over a year and yet to re-sharpen it - thats quality steel for holding an edge.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

John,
Here is a Pfeil #7 sweep bent gouge 25 mm width I got from Woodcraft.com

And a coupe pics of it if it helps.

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"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins

Yes, that would be a long bent gouge.
Yes, I should of said firmer or flat chisel. They are carving chisels. I stand corrected.

I didn't think my question would set off such a flurry of mass confusion. My apologies. In every single woodwork catalog I have (and that's a lot) there is such a thing as a "bent gouge". The Henry Taylor ones I mentioned look about as large as bench chisels rather than small woodcarving gouges. They also have hoops on the top to prevent mushrooming when they're struck. Some of the smaller gouges used for woodcarving don't require hoops because they aren't whacked with a hammer.

I'm glad to hear from the happy owners of the Henry Taylor gouges. That's reassuring. Maybe I'll take the plunge with one. It seems like the general consensus is for the #7 scoop. I'll be using the gouge to knock out some of the wood when I'm shaping my top for an archtop build.
-John
P.S. I've never heard of a long bent or short bent gouge.

I not to long ago finished a book ,"Woodcarving Tools, Materials & Equipment" by Chris Pye. It has all you would want to know about woodcarving tools and sharpening and what to look for in chisels.

Also be aware that a #7 sweep might not be the same from one manufactor to another. You want to make sure the blade thickness is even across and along the blade and also that the Tang is straight and centered to the handle also. Don't hesitate to send it back if anything is not correct. Just let them know what's wrong. Your paying top dollar for these and they should be top knotch. That's why they cost what they do. If the tang is bent it will affect your carving and the same with the consistancy of the blade thickness. I looked at and was about to buy a double beveled chisel from Woodcraft but the tang wasn't straight. These manufactors want to know if the quality is off. It's not just the steel quality that makes these so costly.