Gear guide
Best Wood Carving Gouge Sets: Palm Tools for Hand Carving
Picked from Amazon listings, not hands-on tests. How we pick
Palm tools are short gouges, chisels and V-tools with a handle that sits in the palm: you push them by hand, with no mallet. That makes a palm set the natural step up from a whittling knife for hollows, textures and relief carving in basswood. Sets differ in four ways: the number of tools, the sweeps and widths included, the steel, and the handle. Sweep is the number that describes the curve of a gouge: on the Sheffield list a #3 is the flattest gouge, a #9 is a half circle, and #10 and #11 are U-gouges. Width is measured corner to corner. V-tools run from 45 to 90 degrees. A listing that names each tool by sweep and width tells you exactly what you are buying; several do not, and those are marked 'not stated' below. This guide compares six sets of wood carving palm tools by tool count, stated sweeps and widths, steel and handle, and notes which listings say the tools arrive sharp. Everything comes from the listings; nothing here was tested. Full-size 12-piece mallet sets are a different kind of tool and are left out.
Compare the picks
| Pick | Tools | Sweeps and widths | Steel | Handle | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Flexcut FR405 deluxe palm gouge set, 9 tools | 9 (7 gouges, 2 V-tools) | #2 to #11, 1/8 to 5/8 | 1095 high carbon steel | Ash hardwood | - | Amazon |
 Flexcut FR310 beginners palm set, 5 tools | 5 | not stated | 1095 high carbon steel | Ash hardwood | - | Amazon |
 UJ Ramelson palm set for fine detail, 5 tools | 5 | 5 profiles, 5/64 to 1/8 in | Tool steel, HRC 60-62 | Hardwood, palm design | - | Amazon |
 BeaverCraft SC05 palm gouge and chisel kit, 6 tools | 6 | not stated | not stated | Ashwood | - | Amazon |
 Flexcut FR604 mini palm gouges, set of 4 | 4 | #3, #5, #11, V: 1/16-1/8 in | High carbon steel | Ash hardwood | - | Amazon |
 Flexcut FR804 micro palm carving set, 4 tools | 4 | not stated | 1095 high carbon steel | Ash hardwood | - | Amazon |
Facts are taken from each Amazon listing. Prices are checked daily and shown with their date.
If you just want one
- Closest match for the jobFlexcut FR310 beginners palm set, 5 toolsFive palm tools with 1095 high carbon steel blades, as the title states.
- Most for the money on paperBeaverCraft SC05 palm gouge and chisel kit, 6 toolsSix palm tools covering gouges, chisels and a V-tool, per the listing.
- Most complete listingFlexcut FR405 deluxe palm gouge set, 9 toolsEvery tool is named by sweep and width, from a #2 x 5/16 gouge to a #11 x 1/8 gouge.
The picks in detail
Pick 1 · FLEXCUT
Flexcut FR405 deluxe palm gouge set, 9 tools
See price on AmazonNine palm tools: gouges #2 x 5/16, #3 x 3/8, #3 x 5/8, #5 x 9/16, #6 x 5/16, #8 x 3/8 and #11 x 1/8, plus 70 degree V-tools at 1/4 and 3/8. The widest range of sweeps here, in a box with a lid.
What the listing offers
- Every tool is named by sweep and width, from a #2 x 5/16 gouge to a #11 x 1/8 gouge.
- Two 70 degree V-tools are included, at 1/4 and 3/8.
- Razor-sharp 1095 high carbon steel blades, ash hardwood handles and a storage box; made in the USA.
Limits to know
- Nine tools is more than a first relief or figure needs: a beginner will not use them all at once.
- Both V-tools are 70 degrees; no 60 degree V-tool is included.
Pick 2 · FLEXCUT
Flexcut FR310 beginners palm set, 5 tools
See price on AmazonFive palm tools with 1095 high carbon steel blades and ash handles in a wooden tool box, sold as a beginners palm set. A small set of hand-pushed tools; the listing does not name the five profiles.
What the listing offers
- Five palm tools with 1095 high carbon steel blades, as the title states.
- Ashwood handles described as fitting snugly in the palm for control in detailed carving.
- Includes a wooden tool box; made in the USA by Flexcut of Erie, Pennsylvania.
Limits to know
- The listing does not state which sweeps and widths the five tools are.
- This listing does not say whether the tools arrive sharpened.
Pick 3 · UJ Ramelson Co
UJ Ramelson palm set for fine detail, 5 tools
See price on AmazonFive miniature palm tools: a 1/8 inch gouge, 5/64 inch veiner, 5/64 inch bent parting tool, 1/8 inch skew and 1/8 inch bent chisel, in tool steel at Rockwell 60-62. For fine detail, not for hollowing.
What the listing offers
- All five tools are named with widths: 1/8 gouge, 5/64 veiner, 5/64 bent parting, 1/8 skew and 1/8 bent chisel.
- Tool steel with a stated Rockwell hardness of 60-62.
- Each blade is stated to be pre-sharpened, polished and buffed for clean cuts out of the box.
Limits to know
- Every tool is 1/8 inch or narrower: too small for shaping or hollowing larger surfaces.
- Sweep numbers are not given, and no storage box or tool roll is mentioned.
Pick 4 · BeaverCraft
BeaverCraft SC05 palm gouge and chisel kit, 6 tools
See price on AmazonA six-piece palm set with gouges, chisels and a V-tool on lightweight ashwood handles, made in Ukraine. The listing states it is for hand carving only and should not be used with a mallet or hammer.
What the listing offers
- Six palm tools covering gouges, chisels and a V-tool, per the listing.
- Lightweight ashwood handles shaped to fit in the hand.
- The listing states plainly that these are palm tools, not to be used with a mallet or hammer.
Limits to know
- Neither sweeps nor widths are stated for any of the six tools.
- The steel is not named, and the listing does not say the tools arrive sharpened.
Pick 5 · FLEXCUT
Flexcut FR604 mini palm gouges, set of 4
See price on AmazonFour miniature palm gouges: #3 x 1/8 inch, #5 x 1/8 inch, #11 x 1/16 inch and a 70 degree parting V-tool x 1/8 inch, in high carbon steel with ash handles. For fine detail on small carvings.
What the listing offers
- Each tool is listed by sweep and width in inches and mm, from #3 x 1/8 (3 mm) to #11 x 1/16 (2 mm).
- High carbon steel blades described as razor-sharp and ready to use right out of the package.
- Solid ash hardwood handles that fit in the palm; made by Flexcut of Erie, Pennsylvania.
Limits to know
- All four tools are 1/8 inch or narrower: this is a detail set, not a first general set.
- The listing warns that moisture rusts the tools even when they are stored in their box.
Pick 6 · FLEXCUT
Flexcut FR804 micro palm carving set, 4 tools
See price on AmazonA set of four micro palm tools for miniature and fine detail work, with 1095 high carbon steel blades, ash handles and a wooden tool box. An add-on for small-scale detail more than a starter set.
What the listing offers
- Razor-sharp 1095 high carbon steel blades, stated as ready to use right out of the package.
- Ergonomic ash hardwood handles that fit in the palm.
- Comes in a sturdy wooden tool box; made in the USA.
Limits to know
- The listing does not name the four profiles or give any widths.
- Described as ideal for miniature and fine detail work, so it will not rough out a carving.
Read before you buy
- Wood Carving Gouge Sizes Chart: Sweep Numbers, Widths and What Each CutsGouge sweep numbers 1 to 11 and V-tools in the Sheffield list and the Swiss (Pfeil) numbering, widths in mm and inches, and what each tool cuts.
- Whittling vs Wood Carving: What Is the DifferenceWhittling is wood carving with a knife only. A table compares whittling, chip carving, relief carving and carving in the round by tools, wood and workspace.
- How to Sharpen Wood Carving Tools: Gouges, V-Tools and Chipped EdgesHow to sharpen wood carving gouges, V-tools and chisels: bevel angles of 15 to 25 degrees, rolling the gouge, slip stones and grinding out a chip.
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Carving Bench chooses every product independently from what its Amazon listing states. We may earn a commission from the links above. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.