# Dastra Carving tools - I expected better



## Dutchy (Jun 18, 2012)

Dastra in the past was a (very) small compagny that made tools according to the wishes of the customer, mostly professionals. So at Dastra you could get what you wanted. But dastra was definitely not a modern factory, see videos 



 and 




Since 2019 the products of Dastra are manufactured and distributed by Wilh. Schmitt & Comp. GmbH & Co. KG, reknown for its *Two Cherries* brand. (Firma Heinrich Bracht in Remscheid, Zwei Kirschen, Königstraße 59
42853 Remscheid
Germany)

In short, Dastra and Two cherries are from the same company.


----------



## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

I guess Two Cherries throws rejects in a bin and Dastra sells them? I'm certainly pleased that I stumbled onto Pfeil tools early, when I bought my first carving tools, in 2001. The only complaint I have about them is a set I bought many years ago that were stored where part of the tools were rusted. It wasn't on the sharp end, just a section of the shank between there and the handles. I simply cleaned them up with WD-40 and steel wool.


----------



## Dutchy (Jun 18, 2012)

> I guess Two Cherries throws rejects in a bin and Dastra sells them?
> 
> - Dark_Lightning


I don't think they do. Dastra was highly regarded by many in the past, and Wilh. Schmitt & Comp is not going to screw that up. BTW I myself use Pfeil, but I must confess that I am not much of a woodcarver.


----------



## JohnCageBubblegum (8 mo ago)

Update - I contacted Diefenbacher Tools, the US distributor for Dastra, and they responded within a couple hours. I sent back the messed up V tool and they immediately sent me a new one and credited me for the shipping. Great service from Diefenbacher!


----------



## Phil32 (Aug 31, 2018)

Experienced "gouge users" (not to be confused with woodcarvers in general) acquire many personal preferences as to the shape of their tools - secondary bevels, rounded corners, reverse angle wings, etc. Manufacturers cannot anticipate all these variations, so you should expect to "commission" your tools to your liking. The best bevel angle for a gouge that will be mallet-driven vertically into hardwood is not the same as gouges used for light, shaving cuts in basswood. It takes years to learn what changes work well for you. Nearly all gouges can be used in multiple ways.


----------

