W. Butcher gouge questions

[Bill Houghton]

I saw a W. Butcher in-cannel socket gouge at an estate sale yesterday. The metal of the gouge was very grainy looking, except about an inch on the "back" - non-bevel - side of the gouge, which was very smooth. I might go back today and look at it again.



Was this likely a laminated gouge?



Is this something valuable, or just interesting?

[Mike Henderson]

Unless you collect old tools, in-cannel gouges are not used all that much. At least I never ran into a situation where I really need one. I think patternmakers were the primary users.

The only way to be sure it's a laminated tools is to see the border between the two metals. You can usually see that on the bevel edge when you sharpen it, but it can be very hard to see otherwise.

Mike

[David Keller NC]

I saw a W. Butcher in-cannel socket gouge at an estate sale yesterday. The metal of the gouge was very grainy looking, except about an inch on the "back" - non-bevel - side of the gouge, which was very smooth. I might go back today and look at it again.



Was this likely a laminated gouge?



Is this something valuable, or just interesting?




Generally, any edge tool that's marked "W Butcher" with and arrow device under it are quite valualbe, unless they've has such a had life that they're destined for the scrap box

[george wilson]

I never saw a Butcher gouge of laminated steel. Plane irons,yes. Does it say cast steel on it? Probably got rusty some time ago,and was cleaned,leaving it "grainy" looking. Shiny area probably due to being lapped near the cutting edge to get the pits out of that area.

[Bill White]

Bill, I have collected several W. Butcher tools over the years. None of my chisels are laminated. The cast steel is sweet stuff, and holds edges very well. Buy it.
Oh, I also have an in cannel gouge that I use often for rounded corner mortices and such.
Bill

[Frank Drew]

Oh, I also have an in cannel gouge that I use often for rounded corner mortices and such.


Also useful for the occasional scribed work; I've got some very nice Japanese in-cannel round-nose gouges -- a lot of their traditional work involves scribing natural log forms.