Sculptors use chisels to carve stone such as soft soapstone or hard granite. Tooth chisels have teeth at the end of them that help sculptors carve designs into the side of stone. Flat chisels have a sharp and flat edge that helps sculptors carve smooth surfaces. Point chisels have one very sharp point that helps chisel away chunks of stone. Sculptors use hammers to supply the force with which the chisel cuts through the stone. They use light hammers for soft stone and heavier hammers for harder stone. Chisels should always be kept very sharp to cut and carve the stone without breaking it.
Carvers and sculptors use very sharp wood chisels to carve wood. Flat wood chisels look a lot like flat stone chisels and are used for the same purpose. Other chisels differ greatly from stone chisels. Gouges have a curved end that can create convex or concave curves in the wood. Bents are similar to gouges except that the side of the blade is curved and the front is straight. This creates a curved line in the wood. Some gouges and bents have a deep sweep while others are shallower. Carvers use skews to make lines in the wood. Parting tools have a V-shaped end that can make a V-shaped ravine or a V-shaped line. Most wood is soft enough that carvers simply apply slight pressure on a sharp chisel to cut the wood. However, if the wood is very hard, they can use a woodcarving mallet made of wood and meant to supply extra force.
Because clay is a very soft material, sculptors do not need to apply a lot of force to model it. Thus, clay-modeling tools are generally more delicate than wood or stone tools. However, clay tools should always be as sharp as possible so that the clay’s cuts are smooth and clean. Clay sculptors use wire end tools to carve the general shape of their model. The tool features a wire loop at one end that has either a straight or curved edge. The loop helps glide the clay away from the sculpture so that it does not press back into the clay. Sculptors then use small and delicate detailing tools to add some of the finer details. Detailing tools will have either a loop or a point at the tip.