Just got some cane (finaly!!!) and sanding cylinders, shooting block etc to complete almost all of my reed-making stuff. Just need to look into gouges now. Anyone have a source for these, specifications to look for, things to avoid?? I cane I have is stated to be medium-hard.
Thanks all!
B~
Brian, here’s some places you can start looking:
NPU sells a gouge made by Ashley Isles made to Cillian O’Brien’s specifications - a 3/4"x3 incannel gouge. Allan Moler’s video on reed making also offers recommendations, but his method uses a number 6 and a number 3 gouge - both by Ashley Isles. Seth Gallager’s web site also offers a reed making kit.
I tried to get some Ashley Isles gouges imported to Canada via a local woodworking shop, but the cost was double what other places are selling them for on the web, with a hefty downpayment, and at least six weeks wait. So I ordered the gouge from NPU. That was weeks ago, and I still haven’t received it yet.
I don’t don’t know a lot about gouges, but the incannel design (bevel on the inside of the gouge) seems to be a rarity, and a special-order item for most places.
djm
Isn’t the bevel in the inner (concave) side pretty-much a requirement to gouge a reed correctly? I would think that trying to work the inner slip would be next to impossible with a straight gouge, and even harder with one cut on the convex…but I’ve not done this before so who knows…
Bri~
P.S. THANKS Meir! 
Brian, you’re correct. I am referring to the availability of such gouges, not their applicability to reed making. There just doesn’t seem to be a great demand for gouges with the bevel on the inside, so they are harder to find. At least, that has been my experience.
djm
I got 2 from Celtic Fire. They are very good. I also have one from NPU, but it took 6 months to arrive after I placed the order. It too is a good in-cannel gouge.
http://www.celticfire.com/index.html
Regards,
Carl
Pipemaker Cillian Ó Briaín tells me that he is about to take delivery of a gouging machine, so he will soon be able to supply ready-gouged slips.
Should take a little of the heartache out of the process for many of us!!
Boyd
If you have a shooting board, and the correct size slips of cane, then the easiest way to produce the channel is to use a scraper. If you start with a long very sharp chisel and pare down the slip until the top is flat, you can then grind a piece of spring steel to the correct radius you need. An old machine hacksaw blade works even better.
The trick is to “turn” the edge of the scraper over, so it is actually producing a cut edge rather than a scraped surface. You do this by quickly passing a heavy steel rod along the scraper’s edge at 90 egrees, then repeating this once at 45 degrees. Test out the edge on a piece of cane; if you get little shavings then the edge is sharp enough. If you get dust then you need to turn the edge again. You can then either use a pulling or pushing action to clear out the slip, reversing the can frequently to get an even thickness. This is how violinmakers finish off the surfaces of an instrument, particularly the channel around the edges.
Mike
Hi Brian,
have you tried searching for dealers selling old woodwork tools? The link below is a tool dealer in the UK that sells gouges, I didn’t check if they ship overseas although they might work out too expensive anyway.
http://tbx.toolbankexpress.com/default.cfm?rid=49
If you haven’t already done so I would recommend that you download the free PDF file from www.swaup.org concerning reedmaking, it gives measurements if you want to try to make a reedmaking knife. Here are some more reedmaking links in case you haven’t seen them.
http://home.planet.nl/~ejthart/Reed/Intro.html
http://www.bagpipeworks.com/making_reeds.htm
By the way, I’ve never tried to make a reed myself. I still need cane and, would you believe it, a gouge 
Cheers, Mac
I didnt especially see hand gouges, but they do have machines and all manner of supplies. http://www.charlesmusic.com/
The other All purpose rare, unusual and neat stuff place I recomend is http://www.leevalley.com
BTW.. Brian are you coming to Junction this weekend? If not I need your snail address so I can send your new bag cover.
I only have to gouge the cane about 6-8 times, including getting the slip to the correct thickness. It only takes about a minute tops for the whole process, not exactly traumatic stuff.
I like the idea of a metal template for shaping the sides of the reed, though. I remember reading that Cillian made such a gizmo. I’ve gotten pretty good at getting the shape right but sometimes the reed comes out looking like an upside down bishop’s miter or something.
Brian Howard already sells prepared slips ( in various stages of readiness).See his website Howardmusic.co.uk.I have used his Ready-tie slips and made spot-on reeds in less than an hour.What more can I say?His engineering is based on that used for the Classsical music circle.He can engineer a piece of equipment to make anything.Time spent watching him in his workshop zips by–and to the engineering inept, like me, seems very much like alchemy.
I got mine from Celtic Fire in about a week,I think Tim Britton still sells a good gouge, He also sells reed making kits, or did at one time!!
Mike
…
Whoo-hoo! Just got my gouge from NPU. Only two weeks turn around. Pretty darn good, I’d say. Now if I could just find a more reliable source of soft Spanish cane I’d be happy as a pig in poop. 
Does anyone know if CelticFire is still only selling that rock hard stuff from California?
djm
I reground the bevel on my gouge, to about 1" deep. It was orginally a bit shallow.
I got mine from Nick Whitmer, does he still supply reedmaking junk? He’s a good guy, too.
Just to spread the joy around, please note that Celtic Fire is no longer stocking cane for reed making for uilleann pipes. I called today and was told they have gotten right out of it. They did not have any suggestions for alternate suppliers. 
Guess its back to globe trotting the web. I would appreciate any useful suggestions for cane sources.
Thx,
djm
Cane sources?
Did you do a search… (long pause) ?
We’ve discussed it a bunch o’ times
Tony, yes, I did. There is actually very little useful information there. People are either buying pre-cut slips, buying cane for bassoons, or quoting sources in Europe. Nothing in NAmerica.
I think I will PM a couple of people, in case they’re being coy. 
djm
Alan Burton recommends S.L.Medir in Palermo, Spain as a major exporter. Check this post:
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=3003&highlight=cane&sid=c8a8f0f789c4d353059fdcd351f6514a
He’s on this list:
http://www.woodwind.org/clarinet/Equipment/Reeds/MakeMyOwn.html
Medir S.L.
P.O. Box 108
17230
Palamás, Spain
Fax: 34 72 318917
i took a really nice old gouge and reground it to incanel. i did it very slowly, dipping it in water every few seconds so as not to lose its temper.
it took about a hour including final honeing. it works fine.
tansy