Mifer Wood Carving Tools

Gouges are the principal tools used in sculpting blocks of wood.tree trunk carving image by Warren Millar from Fotolia.com

Mifer is a brand of woodcarving gouge produced in Spain. Woodcarving gouges are hand-held chisels that are pounded with a mallet, either along or across the grain, into the mass of wood being carved. On hobbyist forums and in online consumer feedback, Mifer tools are generally reviewed favorably.

Composition

The blade of a Mifer gouge comprises forged vanadium steel. It should be filed regularly to maintain sharpness. The handle, reinforced with metal, is of steel-reinforced boxwood, a high-density wood that is also used for chess pieces and violin fittings.

Mifer tools are sold as single gouges or in sets of six or more. The sets come in leather pouches and wooden boxes, both of which include a stone for sharpening and a bronze mallet for pounding the gouges. Concave and convex gouges are included in the sets.

Because this is a Spanish brand, the best way for Americans and other persons living outside of Spain to purchase Mifer tools is on the Internet. Mifer gouges are available online via eBay or third-party hardware retailers. As of August 2010, some of the prices were as follows: A single gouge ranged from $7.62 to $19.93 on retailer sites; a full set in a hardwood box was on sale for $49 on eBay; and a set of five chisels was available for $75 on a retailer site.