tapered carbide point chisel

Conical shape. With hammerhead. Length 200 mm.

Tapered carbide point chisels are available with a conical grind and, more rarely, with a pyramid grind. The pyramid-ground tools come from Italy and are very suitable for working crystalline stone types such as marble. For sandstone, hard limestone and granite, conical ground chisels tend to be used.

Sculpting tools made of carbide or with carbide inserts are particularly suitable for working hard types of stone. Carbide tools need to be resharpened less frequently during work, as the material is so strong that there is less abrasion than with tools made of forged steel. The carbide cutting edge therefore has a longer service life. However, if carbide chisels are ground very sharp or thin, careful working is required, as carbide is a brittle material due to its hardness and can easily break when ground thin. Levering movements when hammering can also lead to breakage or loosen the carbide pin from the steel casing.

The rule of thumb for hard stone is: the harder the stone, the blunter the cutting angle of the chisel should be. With hard stone such as granite, the chisel is placed at almost a right angle and the stone is virtually pulverised. The chisel therefore has a very blunt cutting edge. For crystalline stone such as hard marble, a more pointed tool with a sharper cutting edge is required. The chisel is set flat so that the stone can chip off without damaging the underlying crystalline structure.

Carbide chisels can also be used for working sandstone. As sandstone is highly abrasive, forged steel chisels can wear relatively quickly. Carbide cutting edges have a longer service life due to their hardness. However, it should be noted that the carbide pins are usually set in steel.

As with crystalline rock, pointed chisels tend to be used for working sandstone: the aim with this type of rock is to destroy the bond between the sand particles when striking, for which a pointed tool is better suited than a blunt one. However, the same applies here: for very hard sandstone, use less pointed chisels that are less likely to break.