# Alex & mathieson & son gouge



## cms1983 (Apr 25, 2012)

I just got this gouge at the flea mart I think it is a carving gouge or pattern makers gouge same thing I guess any way I can't find much on the age or when they used certain logos. Anyone know anything? Also got this millers falls coping saw rosewood handle 12" throat it has the May 23 1876 pat. On it and says mfg. by millers falls co. Millers falls mass can't find much on the age of that and how common it is. So any help on that would be great to. Plenty of info on the planes not on stuff like this.


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## cms1983 (Apr 25, 2012)

I think the gouge is early. Looks to imperfect to made after 30's 40's. The stop at the end of the tang isn't perfect ether i don't think it was mass produced. The back is stamped Glasgow & Edinburgh. here is the logo on the coping saw.


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## cms1983 (Apr 25, 2012)

Secondly I also got this A E T co. Gouge maybe A F T. The a e t co is socked with bevel down the mathieson is tang & bevel up. Are they both carving chisels? The A E T co. Has two stars next to name and I know nothin about it. So if anyone does let me know if you can. I got both chisel from same guy diffrent times


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## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

Alex Mathieson was a master sharp edge tool maker based in Glasgow in 1856 he joined the firm with his son who was based in Edinburgh and from then on the firm marked all its tools Alex Mathieson & son Glasgow & Edinburgh.

So you gauges date from some time after 1856. Your two gauges are known as in and out channel, the out channel is a Carpenters carving gauge and the in channel, sometimes called a scribing gauge and is a Pattern makers tool Hope this is of some help to you. Billy.


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## cms1983 (Apr 25, 2012)

It does. I've been in old tools awhile just getting in to carving tools. I know the firm for their beautiful infill and wood planes. Found history about them. Nothin in the way of a close time period. I have been wanting one their infill panel planes in the worst why. Just don't have the green for it.have you ever herd of the A E T co.? Or A F T Iam making a London pattern handle for the A E T Gotta finish the leather washers I'll do the same for the mathieson


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## cms1983 (Apr 25, 2012)

Yes billy it did I wasn't sure on why was in channel and other out. Or as I said up and down witch isn't proper term.


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## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

Sorry cant help you with the A E T. I originally served my apprenticeship on the Banks of the Mersey in north west England and a lot of the journeymen had Mathieson planes Beautiful tools they originally had a place in Liverpool as well so that would account for why there where so many. they originally started in Glasgow in a place called the Sarison tool works the firms in signature was a crescent moon with a star above it.

About the best plane to come out of Scotland was the Spiers of Ayr,the funny thing was that Spiers himself never produced a plane he designed them and then sub contracted the work to other tool makers so the planes would have irons made by Mathieson`s, Norris or Ward & Pain.

If you are getting into carving you will come across the name Addis, there was a whole family of them father, sons, brothers they where the ones who thought up the system of numbering the chisels so you could tell what shapes they are.the system was copied in Europe but there was some mix up and still to to-day there is one number difference in the European system and the English system.
Ward & pain bought the name at one point but there was that many of them that they got the name back.

How are you getting on with the London Paten handles, not the easiest to make but they really sit just right in the hand, it makes it a joy to pick the tool up.

I made some handles based on a London Paten in a thread on here
Just found it, http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f11/cheap-tools-38203/ Tell us how your getting on with the handles its interesting to see how other people deal with the same problems.
Sorry for rambling on best shut up.


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## cms1983 (Apr 25, 2012)

This was my first London pattern chisel handle. It fits perfect in the hand, I should have made them for my mill wright chisels or sash mortise chisels. Not sure which it is. The first pic is the first one I started. It's not done gotta polish the leather. The second pic is how I laid out the flats and just used my #3 plane. Turned from same centers as lay out.


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## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

WOW that handle looks cool man way to go, and I like the method you used to lay out the octagon so simple. I like simple things.:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## cms1983 (Apr 25, 2012)

Thank you. Your handle looks great too. I just hope that is real leather and polishes up right. Il tell u those London pattern handles do fit great I don't think I'll ever make a round chisel handle again.


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## cms1983 (Apr 25, 2012)

Did that look like real leather to you?just looks fluffy it's not done still gotta do more work. Just hard to get time with two boys 7yrs & 1 yrs old. Sometimes I take out my oldest to the shop, I answer more questions then get anything done he will use a spokeshave or plane and just mess around. I got him helping me make schlarings for the chisel handles on my metal lathe though he enjoys it as do I. I hope he or my youngest carries on the joy of these tools and can pass them on to them. I hope they got a long wait iam 30 so I hope I got a lot more time with them and these tools. I was talking to the guy I got the coping saw from, he been selling his whole collection off because his kids don't want them and the son won't let his kids go near them. On the count of fear. I teach mine safety first he allways has safety glasses on and dust mask when necessary. I thought that was a shame


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## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

Cms 83 sorry I didn't answer your post sooner to many things on the go. The leather on a chisel handle is a thing for the user to decide whether to include or not, its supposed to act as a shock absorber. I never fit leather to any handles that I fettle,I think it is a personal choice thing, if it is what you want then go with it.

Btw do you have a German background you say schlagring in English it is usually called a ferrule no big thing just interesting. 

I think you should take your son to the shop with you it builds bonds between you both and teaches the boy respect for tools and there use.

I have three sons and they can fettle and use any hand tool that I own and the bonds between the four of us are very strong, but not just through using hand tools.A hand full of nails a hammer and a piece of wood will keep a kid fascinated till they get bored.
Just two rules I layed down on safety. When using sharp edge tools both hands must be behind the cutting edge,the next may sound a bit strange but it is something I believe very strongly in and that is listen to you body.If it tells you you are not standing right then change the way you are standing if you get the feeling that some thing you are doing is not safe then don't do it.

Anywho back to the tools the gouges that you have can sometimes be a bit trying to get a good edge on them but if you want I can give you a couple of ideas and tips that may help you,If you don't want me to clutter up you thread thats OK then I might start a new thread.


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## cms1983 (Apr 25, 2012)

I was asking if it looks like leather to you. Not the fake stuff it's real fluffy after I cut it still gotta buff it.


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## cms1983 (Apr 25, 2012)

Sure fire away all ways take tips. Your the only one who answered. Seems like if your not talking about a plane or hand saw you don't get many responses. I don't think you will clog up this thread


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## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

Cms 83 cut the guys a bit of slack, they are a cool bunch really and if they had information on the tools Iàm sure they would post it.

Any way this is something I came up with a long time ago and have changed it a little along the way

Originally I would screw two pieces of wood together one on the top and the other on the bottom of the gouge, over time I changed this for two aluminum angles that I bolt together you can see it all in the pics. 

I place the oil stone on the bench and place two pieces of wood,one either side of the stone and a thin piece of wood over the top of both of them (as I say look at the pic).

The faces of the aluminum angle are placed against the thin piece of wood and the gouge placed on the stone. the aluminum is moved up or down till the gouge is sitting at the right angle on the stone.

When every thing is set I turn the stone so I can move the gouge up and down the stone turning it backwards and forwards as I go with the faces of the aluminum resting against the thin strip of wood all the time.

A burr is raised on the gouge and I have a piece of wood shaped roughly to the shape of the gouge, wet and dry rapped around the wood with a squirt of dish soap cut with water and away you go.

The wood I cut with the gouge is beech so you can see it cut just fine.


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## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

2 nd post for the rest of the pics.


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## cms1983 (Apr 25, 2012)

Very good. I wasn't complaining.they are great group of guys. Maybe I should have worded it better hand planes and saws are more popular. I didn't mean any disrespect. But anyway thank u I'll have to give that a try


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## cms1983 (Apr 25, 2012)

It does cut great. Thanx taking the time to post that. It's a great idea. Again I didn't mean any disrespect they seem to be the popular topics. Sounded harsher then I ment it sorry bout that


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## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

Cms 83 no problem my friend sometimes what we write Just doesn't come out the way we meant it,no Problem.


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## acowboy (Nov 20, 2013)

cms83,
Here is a link for that MF saw
http://www.datamp.org/patents/displayPatent.php?id=13514

And not to bump the thread one bit, thanks Billy De for the post on how to aid in sharpening a gouge, acquired three Ohio socket type that need to be sharpened.

Nice tools, cms83..:thumbsup:


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