A "new" two and a half century old wood turning gouge

[Almy]

This 1/2" gouge was given to me yesterday by a friend who knows I do some wood turning. It was rusted but but not pitted. When I wire brushed the rust off, the gold-washed label in the groove near the tip became visible. At first I thought the name was incomplete, because "CAM" is not a name I am familiar with. I thought it was an abbreviation or incomplete. A little searching found that JAMES CAM was a tool making company in Sheffield, England, from 1774 to about 1830. If this is one of their products, that dates it. I was amazed to be holding in my hand, and trying on my lathe, a tool that was over 200 years old! If it had been found metal detecting, the handle would have been gone and the tool badly rusted. But here it is in excellent condition and from the time of many of my metal detecting finds!
JAMES CAM made a tremendous variety of tools. All of his lathe tools I saw illustrated were tang type, where the blade has a tang that extends into a hole in the wood handle. Mine has a socket handle, with the wood inserted into a tapered receiver on the blade. Socket handles are normally used for chisels that will be hit with a hammer when being used. My new (to me!) tool came to me sharpened for use on a lathe, and I do not think it was ever used as a gouge and hit with a hammer. However, a socket handle is stronger on a lathe than a tang type. So who knows why it is as it is. I just know I am happy to have it!

 

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[Blackfoot58]

Nice piece. The handle-to-tool transition makes for an interesting look. Thanks for posting.