Chisels

The point, the claw, and the flat — the three edges that start every carve.

Every stone carve starts with three edges. You could buy forty chisels, and every one of them is a variant of these three.

The three

point      a four-sided spike — roughs out mass fast
claw       a toothed flat — textures, removes in lines
flat       a smooth edge — the finishing face

How to hold them

The chisel is an extension of your fist, not your fingers. Hold it like a hammer, let the mallet do the work, and keep the angle shallow — steep angles bruise the stone and will chip the edge off your chisel before the day is done.