Hirsch #7 Straight Gouge - 35mm

Hirsch carving tools are regarded by many as Europe's finest woodcarving tools. Hand-forged of Germany's finest high carbon tool steel and tempered to a Rockwell hardness of 61, these tools offer excellent edge retention in use. Sharpening required before use.

This type of straight gouge is intended to make paring cuts while relief carving.

A large octagonal handle ensures a positive grip while using. Overall length is about 11".

Paul Sellers uses this gouge in his spoon making video on YouTube . Please read the note below in regards to Mr. Seller's use of the tool.

Please Note: In using this straight gouge, do not make beginning starter cuts for the bowl at a steep angle as shown in the Paul Sellers video and do not pry-pop out the chips at any time. Those techniques will heavily degrade the edge of this carving gouge, crumbling and damaging the cutting edge or worse, especially when cutting with only its factory grind.

This straight gouge is designed to work with the outside bevel backed up by the wood as you direct the tool to cut in a paring fashion (as the back bevel glides along the wood surface). This is an appropriate use for carving gouges designed for relief carving, like this gouge. This gouge is not a “spoon gouge” by design and in our opinion its edge shape and grind geometry is not suited for the scooping cuts performed in hollowing out a spoon’s bowl or other deep hollowing work.

To hollow out the bowl section of a wooden spoon using this straight carving gouge (that Paul Sellers chose to use), we recommend you take only very shallow, paring cuts, removing a modicum of wood on each cut and which will require far less force to move the gouge. In fact, we urge you not to use a mallet with this gouge, but to use a two-handed grip to make paring cuts. If you find it difficult to make paring cuts just pushing the tool, you need to sharpen it.

With a honed edge, cutting in the proper grain direction, a safe two-handed grip, and the gouge angled to cut with the back bevel always riding on the wood, you should be able to direct this straight chisel to make cuts without the use of a mallet. If cutting is requiring force beyond what you can apply with pushing the tool by hand or very light tapping, either your edge needs sharpening, you're taking too heavy of a cut or you're cutting against the grain (or all three).

This article by Master Carver Chris Pye gives information on conditioning the edge of a new carving tool: Blog - Tuning Your Tools It speaks to gouges used for relief carving pursuits, so if you want to spoon and sculptural carve, you'll want to create a steeper outside bevel angle.