Wood carving comes in many forms, whether it’s whittling or using a chisel and mallet to sculpt a large piece. This set includes a variety of tools designed for specific wood carving mediums and larger projects. It also consists of many basic tools that the woodcarver will commonly use for a variety of carving styles.
This ten-piece gouge and chisel set by Flexcut is built tough and designed for most carving styles, with the exception of whittling. These chisels, gouges, and V-tools are a great choice for the beginner who doesn’t know what are the best wood for carving. These tools will work great for a variety of woods including mahogany, walnut, basswood, and butternut.
Our Verdict: If you enjoy chip carving, sculpting, or relief carving, then you’ll find yourself heavily relying on this top-quality chisel and gouge set by Flexcut. However, these wood carving tools aren’t designed for fine detail work or carving in the round wood carving techniques. Bottom line, for the right style of wood carving, these tools will be invaluable.
This wood carving tool set is a great buy for the relief carver or chip carver in need of a sturdy, reliable set of gouges and chisels that can withstand heavy use.
Continue reading to learn more about this exciting new set by Flexcut.
Table of Contents
Overview and Features
This set consists of gouges, V-tools, and chisels, each of which is equipped with a sturdy, curved ash wood handle designed for durability and comfort.
Each blade is made out of tough carbon steel for a razor sharp edge. The blades range from 1/8 of an inch up to 1 ¼ inch wide. The tools are designed for removing large chunks of wood or for fine detail carving. The set is a good choice for chip carvers and relief carvers.
Product Rating:
- Ash wood handles
- Variety of blade sizes
- Designed for sculpting, relief chipping, and larger projects
- Tools are well-balanced
- Great price to value ratio
- Excellent for all skill sets
Chisels
The chisels in this set feature a bevel on one or both sides with a straight edge blade. The bevels work to draw the chisel in and out of a piece of wood, cleanly, and quickly. The double-beveled models can be used up or down on either side. The design itself prevents the chisel from pulling out of the wood unexpectedly. The single bevel chisel allows you to cleanly insert the edge into the wood if the bevel is up. If the bevel is facing down it will pull the edge cleanly out of the wood.
Gouges
The gouges come in short and long bent styles. They work perfectly to undercut an area or for cut wood removal. In places where top clearance can restrict the use of straight gouges, the back bent gouge will come in handy for cutting convex profiles.
Back-bent gouges are designed to cut out convex profiles in areas in which the top clearance prevents the carver from using a straight gouge. The larger gouging tools are designed for clearing wood and aren’t often utilized for clean detail. However, the wider gouges are perfect for bigger projects.
The fishtail gouge features a profile that’s partially tapered. It will be useful for smaller projects that require delicate wood removal. It can also be used for cleaning out or undercutting corners.
Each of the gouges features a bevel located on the inside. This design makes them perfect for convex surfaces and the go-to type of tool for sculpture work.
V-Tool
The V-tool is basically a couple of chisels that are joined to form the V shape. This type of wood carving tool works just like a chisel if you only use one edge of the tool. However, the main function of the V-tool is to separate an area when you’re undercutting, texturing, adding detail, or outlining. The narrower, tighter V-tools are hardworking thanks to the inside cutting edge which has a smaller dimension compared to the outside dimension. And the result of this design? The cutting edge works to create a much smaller channel than the width of the V-tool. In this set, you’ll get a few different sizes of V-tools for both fine detail and larger projects.
Related Questions
What are the Best Wood Carving Tools for Beginners?
This can depend on the type of wood carving you do. Chisels and gouges and V-tools are perfect for relief chipping, sculptures, and larger projects, while wood carving knives are a better choice for whittling and carving in the round.
To learn more about the different types of wood carving knives and tools to choose from, click here to read our buyer’s guide.
What is a Sculpting Tool?
The gouges, chisels, and V-tools can be used with a mallet for sculpting projects. The PFEIL “Swiss Made” Full-Size Starter Set is perfect for beginners or for smaller projects, while the chisels, gouges, and V-tools in this set can work for larger wood carving projects and sculptures.
What is the Best Knife for Wood Carving?
This can depend on the size of the wood, project type, skill level, and wood type. It can also depend on the wood carving technique you use. As an example, many wood carvers prefer a foldable pocket knife for whittling projects, while others prefer fixed blade wood carving knives for large projects that involve harder wood. The fixed blade works to improve the stability of the knife, making it a better choice for beginners or harder wood, while the foldable design features a variety of blade sizes and wood carving tools that can make it more convenient to use.
Pros
- Ash wood handles
- Variety of blade sizes
- Designed for sculpting, relief chipping, and larger projects
- Tools are well-balanced
Cons
- Not a good choice for whittling or carving in the round projects
- Handles are uncomfortable
Conclusion and Rating
Product Rating:
This Flexcut carving tools set includes many popular chisel, gouge, and V-tool sizes, making it a very versatile set designed for a wide range of project styles and sizes. This set isn’t designed for the whittler or carving in the round woodcarver, but the sculptor will find many important pieces in this set that can be used regularly for projects of all sizes. We gave this set a rating of four and a half stars out of five stars.
