# Best Wood Carving Gouge Sets: Palm Tools for Hand Carving Source: https://carvingbench.com/best/best-wood-carving-gouge-set Publisher: Carving Bench. Picks are chosen from what each Amazon listing states, not from hands-on tests. Method: https://carvingbench.com/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. ## Picks ### 1. Flexcut Carving Tools Deluxe Palm Gouge Set FR405, Wood Crving Kit, Razor-Sharp 1095 High Carbon Steel Blade, Made in the USA Tools: 9 (7 gouges, 2 V-tools); Sweeps and widths: #2 to #11, 1/8 to 5/8; Steel: 1095 high carbon steel; Handle: Ash hardwood Nine 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. ### 2. Flexcut Wood Carving Tools Beginners Palm Set of 5, FR310 Ash Hardwood Handles,1095 High Carbon Steel Blades, Box Included | Made in the U.S.A. Tools: 5; Sweeps and widths: not stated; Steel: 1095 high carbon steel; Handle: Ash hardwood Five 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. ### 3. UJ Ramelson Wood Carving Tools Palm Set for Woodworking, Fine Miniature Detail, Stamp Making, Tile Etching, Mini Chisel and Gouge, 5 Pieces Tools: 5; Sweeps and widths: 5 profiles, 5/64 to 1/8 in; Steel: Tool steel, HRC 60-62; Handle: Hardwood, palm design Five 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. ### 4. BeaverCraft Wood Carving Gouges Kit SC05 - Wood Carving Chisels Set with Palm Gouge & Flat Straight Chisel, Rounded Short Bent, V-chisels - Whittling Knives, Tools for Beginners and Profi Carvers Tools: 6; Sweeps and widths: not stated; Steel: not stated; Handle: Ashwood A 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. ### 5. FLEXCUT Carving Tools, Mini Palm Gouges for Detailed Carving, Ash Hardwood Handles and Carbon Steel Blades, Set of 4 (FR604) Tools: 4; Sweeps and widths: #3, #5, #11, V: 1/16-1/8 in; Steel: High carbon steel; Handle: Ash hardwood Four 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. ### 6. FLEXCUT Carving Tools, Micro Palm Craving Set, Set of 4 (FR804) Tools: 4; Sweeps and widths: not stated; Steel: 1095 high carbon steel; Handle: Ash hardwood A 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. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.