Swedish carving gouge

[AJOE123]

Hi all
Recently picked up this spoon gouge at a swap meet.
It has a file handle on it ;but is a beautiful forging with SWEDEN and a fish stamped in the side.
I have a vast collection of carvers but this is my first Swede;I thought they only made carpentry tools.

from Cat country
TonyDSCN2715.jpgDSCN2719.jpgDSCN2716.jpg

[Robson Valley]

Sweden, and Scandinavia in general, has a reputation for top quality bladesmiths who produce large quantities of superb carving tools. Mora is big, but mostly knives for things like bowls, spoons and kuksa. Se their #162, #163 & #164. Hans Karlsson is as good as it gets.
Of course, you should expect their expertise in the log home construction traditions where Granfors enters the picture.
Much of that has been supplanted by Canadian log home builders who are accustomed to doing 5,000 to 100,000 sqft homes and office buildings.

Your lone Swede may have been a consequence of efforts to crack the "European" market and the failed effort in the face of Pfeil, Stubai, Auriou, Henery Taylor and Ashely Iles. In many instances, these tools fail in the face of more purpose-driven designs. Hence the continued success of the Swedes and the bladesmiths of the Pacific Northwest coast of Canada.

Good find, I don't recognize the logo at all!

[jimbur]

Looks like Berg

[Heavansabove]

In their 1922 Catalogue No. 17 Berg made a wide range of carving knives, but not carving gouges (they did make firmer gouges at this time), so carving gouges came after that time. I have a few Berg carving gouges, I believe they are not common in Oz.

Incidentally if you want a complete set of Berg bench chisels - 1/16" to 5/8" in 1/16ths, 3/4" to 2" in 1/8ths, 2 1/4", 2 1/2". So a complete set is 23 chisels. Given the prices of Bergs these days, I stopped looking when I got to 10.

Cheers
Peter