Narex 8125 Firmer Gouges

Firmer gouges are built for hard work. Unlike lighter carving gouges, which come in a wide range of sweeps for detailed shaping, firmer gouges are used with a mallet to remove waste quickly and only really need a choice of widths rather than curves. The Narex 8125 range covers exactly that, giving you a set of dependable #7 sweep gouges for bringing timber rapidly to approximate shape before finer tools take over.

• Sweep: #7, suited to general waste removal rather than fine carving detail
• Widths available: 8, 10, 12, 16, 20 and 26mm
• Steel: Narex isothermally hardened steel, taking and holding a keen edge
• Handles: hooped beech, built to withstand sustained mallet work

The curved blade cuts across or diagonal to the grain rather than splitting it, so with a sharp edge and steady blows you can shift a surprising amount of material quickly. A common approach is to drill a series of holes to mark the boundary of a cut, then work the gouge through to that depth. Available individually in each width or as a boxed set of six.