I just purchased a #1 flat gouge. The #1 indicates that it does not have any sweep, so it's a gouge, but it's essentially a wide chisel. It is somewhat sharp out of the box, but I need it to be very sharp. Should I treat it like a chisel and sharpen it as such? Should I treat it like a gouge with a bit of sweep and sharpen it using the SVS-50? Or should I leave it alone and hone it with a strop? Thanks.
I would try using the leather honing wheel and treating it as a chisel. Start with the most gentle method and check the sharpness. Only get less gentle if needed.
Ken
Treat it as a chisel.