Gouge

A gouge is a type of chisel with a curved cutting edge, used by woodcarvers to scoop out and shape wood. In simple terms, a wood carving gouge is the tool you’d grab to carve concave areas or flowing curves that a flat chisel or knife can’t easily achieve. Gouges come in different shapes (like U-gouges and V-gouges) and curvatures (called “sweeps”) to create various grooves and hollows. Essentially, if you need to carve a bowl, spoon, or any indented surface, a gouge is the go-to tool to make those smooth, curved cuts.

For beginners, learning to use a gouge opens up a lot of carving possibilities. Gouges allow you to remove wood efficiently while still having control over the depth and direction of your cut. This makes it easier to carve things like the inside of a spoon or the folds of a figure’s clothing with smooth results. Even if you start with just a knife, adding a gouge to your toolkit lets you tackle projects with rounded shapes or deeper details that a knife alone might struggle with. Many starter carving kits include a basic gouge because it helps new carvers progress from simple whittling to more dimensional wood carving projects (like small bowls or figurines) without being too hard to handle.

BeaverCraft offers a wide range of gouges crafted specifically for wood carving enthusiasts – including beginners. Their gouges are made from high-quality hardened steel and come razor sharp, so they cleanly scoop out wood without a lot of effort. The handles are ergonomically designed from ash wood for a comfortable grip, which reduces hand fatigue during long carving sessions. BeaverCraft even produces different types of gouges (such as long-bent gouges for deeper cuts and palm-sized gouges for detail work) to suit various projects. Because these tools are ready to use out of the box and built to last, novice carvers can confidently use BeaverCraft gouges to learn carving techniques and create smooth curves and hollows in their first projects.