Chip carving

The oldest and most basic form of decoration is engravings, made with the knife’s point or any other sharp tool.

Chip carving is a way of carving geometrical patterns by removing small triangular chips. It is called uddsnitt in Swedish, since it is cut using the point (udd) of the knife.

Chip carving knives have a straight edge on a thin and triangular bladeChip carvings are mostly symmetrical.  Repeating and changing simple cuts gives different patterns, from basic zigzag forms to complicated figures like rosettes, carefully laid out with compass and straight edge.

Nagelsnitt and tandsnitt are other types of carvings done with tools like gouges and chisels.