Quality gouges are quite expensive, and cheap ones are totally not worth it. There is not much in between. I decided to try an idea from this video (in Russian lang), first on a set of barely passable chisels:
and then on a set of much tougher ones:
Love the result, and it would be dreadful without flap discs.
It’s a lot of fun experimenting with shapes and textures of the handle. Proper checkering is done with special tools, but this is my manual handiwork.
What could be better than working with hand tools? Making your own hand tools by yourself!
DYI mini-gouges
I found this video (in Russian language), showing how to make a mini-gouge from a cylindrical hardened steel rod found in any DVD-ROM drive. The diameter is 3mm, and the hardness seems quite adequate (the claim is about 55 HRC). On the inner surface I used diamond burrs after grinding the groove with the cutting wheel. Set it into an oak handle and so far pretty happy with the result, especially considering the price.
Learning to carve 