Reply To: carving set
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If this is the “Faithful” set, I bought it, and was not very impressed. You will get what you pay for. I am not an expert or extremely experienced carver, but I agree with everything Bob Easton said above.
The bad side: They seemed very thick, and could use a fair amount of grinding and sharpening. They are comparatively shorter than other carving tools that I have used, not as well balanced.
The good side: They are a good value for the price. You can buy this entire set for less than the cost of a single Dastra gouge. If you have the time and means to grind them, I’m sure you could make them work for you.
I have used Dastra, Hirsch, and Two Cherries, they are definitely more expensive, but all very fine tools.
I attached a couple of pictures comparing the Faithful to the Dastra, the overall length of the tool and the bevel or grinding (the Faithful being on top in that photo). The Dastra is considered by many to be the best of the best. The comparison would be similar to comparing the Kobalt #4 plane to a Lie-Nielsen.