Knowledge center · Workshop techniques · Carving
Technique
Carving
Shaping wood in three dimensions with chisels and a mallet, removing material gradually — used for ornament on legs, frames, and decorative details of period furniture.
Wood carving is done with a set of chisels in different profiles (straight, gouge, and V) and a light mallet, working with the grain so the wood does not tear out. A typical sequence: mark the pattern on the wood, rough out the overall form, then refine the detail and finish with fine abrasive or a sharp chisel for a clean surface. Preferred carving woods are walnut, oak, and beech — their grain is relatively even. In restoration, a missing carving (a broken corner of ornament, for example) has to match the style and the depth of the original so the addition does not stand out. That sometimes means taking a template from a surviving symmetrical corner on the same piece.
Related
Reproduction
A later copy in the style of an earlier period. Not a fake — but not an antique either, and the difference in price is large.
Patina
The layer of wear and sheen that wood gathers over the years. To collectors it is an asset, not a flaw: original patina raises value, and removing it can damage that value badly.
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