first gouge... just checking(for concert reeds)

[rgouette]

I know there are a lotta threads here about reed making tools... but I'm needing
to start scraping some cane, and want to make sure that I'm making the right
choice about sizing etc.
I also know there are more than 1 opinion on width etc

For concert reeds, should I be looking for a 1" incannel gouge?

thanks fellas,
Rich

[outofthebox8]

When I started reedmaking I remember that incannel gouges were very expensive. So what I did was get an inexpensive 'out-cannel' carving chisel off ebay and then I reground it to incannel. I also added an extension to the handle, as carving chisel handles are a bit too short for working on a shooting board - you need to come in at a low angle - like with a pool cue. The width of my reed chisel at the cutting end is 30mm - so a little wider than 1 inch - but I think that extra bit of width and weight is useful on the shooting board.

Also important to think of the depth of the 'scoop' - that is the tangent of the middle part of the cutting blade of the chisel which will shape the inside of your reed. If you look at the profile of reed lips it will give you the idea of what you need - that is quite a shallow curve on the blade so that you can shape the inside of the cane to get the curve that you want.

[rgouette]

appreciate the pointers

R

[abhappy]

When I started making reeds last year, NPU had just stopped selling gouges online. And I couldn't find a good source other than Ashley Iles in Europe. So I decided to try "Kirschen 1481024 inside bevel" from Amazon. Maybe not the sharpest, but I've made a handful of working reeds with it.

[rgouette]

wow, that looks pretty serious!

[abhappy]

I'd almost recommend ordering directly from Ashley Iles, if you want a new gouge. But I didn't want to have to deal with returns if the gouge got damaged in the international shipping. I had to order 3 gouges from Amazon until I found one with a clean edge. That being said, returns with Amazon are easy, so it worked out well. At the time I reached out to a couple makers as well and looked for a tool store online, and no one seemed to have inside-bevel/in-cannel gouges on hand in the USA.

[rgouette]

would this be worth my $?
or no..

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-GOUGE- ... q&LH_BIN=1

[abhappy]

I've never used a vintage gouge, so I'm not sure if it's worth the money. But it seems like a size that would work, as long as the steel is still good.

[rgouette]

I'll let ya know how I get along with it..

[outofthebox8]

Sorby is one of the old Sheffield tool makers, so the steel in that chisel should be
of the highest quality.

https://www.robert-sorby.co.uk/media/wy ... ooklet.pdf

[rgouette]

it certainly has an edge...

[rgouette]

Sorby is one of the old Sheffield tool makers, so the steel in that chisel should be
of the highest quality.

https://www.robert-sorby.co.uk/media/wy ... ooklet.pdf

wow, what a great company story/history