Does anyone use Pfeil gouges, and if so, what is the style I need to buy, the v Parting tool? What number? An artist I follow online says she uses the smallest 0.5 tool, but the only 0.5mm tool I see is U shaped tip, and that's not going to give clean, sharp lines, right?

I already have a Staedtler gouge, but it is so dull right now, and a slip strop is too big of an angle to sharpen it.

Kirbert sharpens them for a small fee, and has also sent out directions on how to sharpen them with a ceramic knife.

I know, I asked him about it. Unfortunately I think I may have already ruined mine with a slip strop. I'm going to send them to him, but if they are ruined by my lame sharpening attempts, I need the Pfeil gouges.

The idea of using the ceramic knife just seems like I would ruin it more, so I will let him try.

Not much chance you ruined it. You wouldn't believe the damaged stuff I've fixed. In fact, IIRC the only gouges I haven't been able to fix have been the ones that someone pinched without sufficient heat so they cracked along the bottom of the V. I may even have fixed a couple of those by grinding the tip all the way back past the crack, but it ends up with a very short tip and is arguably not worth the effort.

Well, that's good to hear, Kirbert! I have one more stamp to try and carve and then mail my gouges to you. Eventually, I have to learn to do it myself, but I'm not carving as much, so hopefully they stay sharp for a while.

Does anyone use Pfeil gouges, and if so, what is the style I need to buy, the v Parting tool?

Piggy-backing off of this if I may...
Could you provide a link to the tool you are talking about?
And, has anyone tried the
Flexcut Tools?

I actually ordered the one I linked to above but unfortunately they sent the shallow U instead. I've learned that the V is supposedly a good tool, I just need to order one from a more reputable place.

http://gantian.se/blog/2016/2/21/printmaking-suppliers

Pfeil : Linoleum and Block Cutter : L 12/1

Pfeil gouge v parting tool #12, 0.5 mm is what I'm looking for, but I haven't found it online. I've only found this in 12/1. My artist contact says I can order from Sweden, but I can't read the website.... sooo.... nope.
I don't think 12/1 will be small enough, and they make a 0.5 that I found online, but it is a U shape. I has to be the V shape.

Yeah, I can't find any smaller than 1mm either.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PFEIL-Swiss-Made-12-Sweep-Bent-V-1mm-/252785930749?hash=item3adb3731fd:g:AhYAAOSwfVpYsJUD

It looks like some of the #12's are "bent" and some are not. I'm betting bent is better.

Remember, I can make gouges smaller. The important factor is how crisp the bottom of the V is. Still, I dunno how many of you will be thrilled to pay $44 + $9 shipping for a gouge only to send it straight to me to modify.

Remember, I can make gouges smaller.

It's too bad we can't make our own gouges.

Here's a link to the flexcut 1mm for less than half that price:
http://www.woodworkingshop.com/product/fr803/?inMed=GSTORE&dfw_tracker=18711-fr803&gclid=CPf8ppLWq9ICFViUfgodiE8FjA

What would be the difference in the above and a .5? If they are both 45 degrees and made from the same metal stock, wouldn't the only difference be the blade height profile?

Anyone ever try a cuticle trimmer?
http://www.target.com/p/revlon-cuticle-trimmer-with-cap/-/A-12849782

That looks like the reverse-V. It looks like it would need to be sharpened, but it may work. Does someone have one of these so that they could post a close picture of the tip?

That's kind of weird that they wouldn't show the tip without the cap. How can anyone tell by that picture what they are getting? Oh well, for that price, maybe its sold over the counter at your local store. ? As you can tell I have never purchased a cuticle tool, lol....

Anyone wondering why I still care, doesn't know me very well, lol...I still care, just in a long lull. ;-)
OD

I've seen stamps done with cuticle trimmers and they aren't going to cut it....

The difference between 1mm and 0.5 mm, is that I can't get in between letters, eyes, tiny details or small spaces that are 1mm or smaller. And that's what I need to do. I have the regular Staedtler and that is 1mm. It's too big. I have the modified staedtler, which is about 0.5 mm and it works.

I have a couple of your gouges.. How much do you charge to sharpen them... And when can I send them to you?

The difference between 1mm and 0.5 mm, is that I can't get in between letters, eyes, tiny details or small spaces that are 1mm or smaller. And that's what I need to do. I have the regular Staedtler and that is 1mm. It's too big. I have the modified staedtler, which is about 0.5 mm and it works.

Hi FloridaFour,
Thanks for the reply. It sounds like I might have offended you. Certainly not my intention. My question was sort of aimed at Kirbert since he has experience modifying carving tips.

I also asked it academically, rather than 'why do you, FloridaFour, need it'. Thinking back to high school geometry you can see the only configuration a 60˚ 0.5 V gouge can be is this.

Here is the exact same drawing with the sides extended a bit to make it a 1mm instead. The bottom half of the tips are identical. Again (geometry), given the set angle of 60˚, the equal side lengths and the given tip width there is no other configuration. So theoretically there is no reason you couldn't get the same detail with a 1mm... though practically it would be a bit trickier given that you have peer around the top of the blades.

So basically I was asking Kirbert if you filed the top of the two sides of a 1mm down a bit, wouldn't that be a 0.5?

It's too bad we can't make our own gouges.

I thought long and hard about it before I came up with my miniaturized mod. Among other ideas, I pondered cutting the sharp point off a hypodermic needle, squishing the tube nearly flat, grinding the top half off the resulting oval tube, and then sharpening up the face as I do any other gouge. One reason I gave up on that idea is that I couldn't figure out how to curve the tip the way Staedtler and Speedball gouges are curved, but now seeing that some other companies make gouges that aren't curved, perhaps I should try it again. Even if it works, though, I dunno how long it'll stay sharp. The Staedtler and Speedball nibs are hardened steel, hypodermic needles are stainless and considerably softer. Hypodermic needles are meant to be used only once and thrown away, no need for a long-lasting point.

Miniaturizing a Staedtler 1V worked so well, though, that I shelved other ideas. If only they still made them!

By a ".5", do you mean one of the pinched Speedball nibs? Or something that's actually 0.5mm?

I have fiddled with the Flexcut. That's a really nice tool, but I suspect many would have trouble getting accustomed to the handle. It's clearly intended for carving hardwood, designed to involve a serious shove with the palm. We don't need that level of force to carve rubber; we'd be better off with something lighter and easier to hold out near the point. Still, despite the odd appearance, the Flexcut is a surprisingly comfortable handle, it might work better than I think.

It's still considerably more expensive than a Speedball. This and other woodcutting tools have always been out there, but so far nobody has stepped forward to tell us which one can be used to carve as well as a Staedtler 1V.

Yeah, someone sent me a cuticle trimmer a few years back. It was cheap junk. The metal is so soft it's basically unusable for any serious carving. If someone makes a good one, I suppose we could revisit it -- but IIRC it was also U-shaped rather than a V, so of no help anyway.

The difference between 1mm and 0.5 mm, is that I can't get in between letters, eyes, tiny details or small spaces that are 1mm or smaller.

In theory, the miniaturized gouge shouldn't make any difference. For the very tiny cuts, you're only cutting with the very bottom of that V, and it's the same bottom whether miniaturized or not. But people like my miniaturized gouges anyway! Making the tip smaller just seems to make it easier to make those small cuts. Getting all that metal out of your line of sight is part of it, for sure. Some of it is probably psychological.

So basically I was asking Kirbert if you filed the top of the two sides of a 1mm down a bit, wouldn't that be a 0.5?

That's what I do!

The difference between 1mm and 0.5 mm, is that I can't get in between letters, eyes, tiny details or small spaces that are 1mm or smaller. And that's what I need to do. I have the regular Staedtler and that is 1mm. It's too big. I have the modified staedtler, which is about 0.5 mm and it works.

Have you tried an exacto knife point for some of those bits? I've ended up a mixed tool carver for sone of those small bits.

Have you tried an exacto knife

Yes, and I suck at it big time. I've tried many times. I use it to get a clean edge sometimes, but I have been completely unsuccessful with curves, tiny circles, lettering, etc. It's like a nightmare to me. I really don't know how people can do it!

Thanks for your explanation. Yes, all the Pfeil gouges use the same angle. My issue is just that I can't see where I'm carving since the shape of the Staedtler 1 v gouge covers the area I'm trying to get into. I haven't actually tried a Pfeil gouge, so they may be easier to work with, I don't know.

Anyway, I was just hoping to get an answer to my original question. I'm surprised no one of thousands of people on here have tried this gouge. Yep, it's $44. But it's totally worth it, if I can use it better and rely on it. The $8 Speedball gouge doesn't give enough detail and it carves too deeply. The exacto knife just doesn't work for me, I have tried many times. Hopefully I can get my Staedtler sharpened.... but since they are no longer made, some people might benefit from finding alternatives.

Getting all that metal out of sight is EVERYTHING to many of us who use them. I've been carving for 6 years, hundreds of stamps. I can get pretty good detail with regular Staedtler, but the miniaturized does 2 things the regular one doesnt do.

It gets into tight spaces, and I can see what I'm doing.

And if I carve on OZ, which it actually works MUCH better on, I can actually use it less like a gouge and more like etching. I can sketch/shave super fine lines and gradations, and that is how I can achieve subtle shading that I can't do as easily as the 1V.

I don't know if any of these things will work for me with the Pfiel gouge, because if it's big handle. But if seen some pretty awesome work on Instagram, done with these gouges.

The exacto knife just doesn't work for me, I have tried many times.

I have a problem getting the details you mentioned (in a previous post) with a gouge. I found that (for me) there is a certain distance to get the gouge in and a similar but shorter distance to get it out. How do you get the details with a gouge?

I find (for me) that I can get the details with a blade because I can precisely control where the cut begins and ends.

I use gouges now when I need long narrow cuts.

An exacto knife is the only thing I have used and it works fine, for me anyways.

OK, I ordered a Flexcut last night. So I'll report back after I get a chance to use it. Right now I'm using a Speedball that I modified. I have pretty good success with it. But like others when I get into some seriously tiny spots I just use a #11 X-acto.

Regarding the the handle shape of the Flex, I've only been carving stamps for about 8 months so I haven't developed any habits that will be too hard to overcome. Plus about 50% of the time I carve toward me so I doubt I hold the handle in a standard way as it is. Regardless, if the handle proves unwieldy I have the tools to modify it.

I'm anxious to get it and give it a try. Stay tuned...

And, has anyone tried the
Flexcut Tools?

I have a Staedler 1V and never use it. I also have the 1mm Flexcut V. It's good for doing very thin, deep lines. I never got used to the big fat handle, though. Mostly I use the Dockyard 1mm V. It's more of a 90° than a V. I would say I use the Dockyard V tool 95% of the time, a big fat Steadler to clean out the large areas 2% of the time, the Dockyard 1mm U shaped tool for cleanup up of small areas 2%, and the Flexcut 1mm V 1%, mostly for doing hatching for shading.