The email addresses seem different, but I assume the Ed French who wrote a very nice article on making gouges for the Fall issue of 'American Woodturner' (V.18, N.3. P25) is the Ed who posts much good info here. I don't know if 'attaboy' fits, but I want to call attention to a contribution by one of our own.
I have never ground a flute from round stock but I have used shaped grinding wheels to rework gouges. It may well be my fault, but I don't find gouges with thick bottoms and shallow flutes milled from round stock very useful. Deeper fluted gouges seem to work for most all of my turning altho I do find forged, Euro style gouges with thinner bottoms and shallow flutes useful. I've neve been to a factory, but I don't really understand why a deep flute milled into round stock should cost more that a shallow flute. Does one more pass or two with a milling cutter deserve a price differential, or is it about what's in demand and what the traffic will bear? Or maybe it's owing to what I consider misnomers; 'spindle' as opposed to 'bowl' gouges. Used silicon grinding stones are cheap and can be formed to make dedicated wheels for grinding shallow fluted, thick bottomed gouges into much more useful and versatile (IMHO) deeper fluted ones. Not all will agree, but for those who do, try regrinding the flutes of some of your less expensive and less useful 'spindle' (there,I said the word) gouges made from bar stock into more useful shapes. Be sure to check used wheels carefully, ring them and stand aside at start-up.
FWIW, I find that inexpensive cold chisel holders from H.F. are good for holding the gouge while reshaping. They also can be used as adjustable vertical top handles to steady longer hollowing tool shafts as described in Chapman's book. It must be senility, I'm getting to using three words when one (or better none) will do. I really started out just to acknowledge Ed's article. Sorry. Arch
Fortiter,