Oscar Rush Gouges

Hand-forged gouges for shaping bowls, chair seats, spoons, kuksa and the like. Made in Suffolk, England by edge tool maker Oscar Rush.

Oscar is gaining a strong reputation for his finely crafted edge tools, including adzes, axes, and timber framing/boatbuilding slicks. After extensive experimentation, he’s now confident enough to release his first batch of carving gouges.

Straight bodied or Long Bent:

• Straight – ideal for working on or creating straight and convex shapes.

• Long bent – curved along the length of the blade, making it easier to work inside deeper concave surfaces.

Sizes:

• Length: 28–30cm (11"–12"), including handle and blade.

• Widths: 25mm, 35mm, 45mm.

Sweeps (curve of the blade, based on circle diameter):

• Shallow: 90mm diameter – for gentle curves.

• Medium: 50mm diameter – for deeper curves.

• Tight: 30mm diameter – for the deepest, narrowest hollows.

Handles: Octagonal ash with brass ferrules, made in Sheffield, England.

Use: Gouges quickly hollow spoons, bowls, ladles, kuksa cups, chair and stool seats, etc. Straight gouges can be struck repeatedly with a wooden or polypropylene mallet. Long bents are best pushed by hand, refining shapes made with straight gouges.

For kuksa bowl making tips, see Paul Adamson’s well-segmented YouTube guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98MxkdUw7eQ

Forged by Oscar in his rural Suffolk workshop.