Chisels are perhaps the most important and well-known woodworking carving tools, though many other tools exist to help a woodworker carve intricate designs and accurate cuts. Mallets are important tools used to help control a chisel while it cuts, and various saws, knives, and blades are used as woodworking carving tools as well. Some power tools exist to help the wood carver accomplish his or her tasks more quickly; rotary tools such as the Dremel®, for example, are able to make intricate cuts at a higher rate of speed.
Woodworkers often have several different types of chisels, which are woodworking carving tools that feature a specifically shaped blade and usually a wooden or plastic handle. The woodworker can use these tools to carve a variety of shapes and patterns; some chisels, for example, feature a scooped shape, while others feature a V-shape. Others may simply feature a straight cutting edge of varying widths to create flat cuts. The chisel can be operated in two general ways: either the woodworker will simply apply pressure to the handle and push the blade forward, or he or she will use a mallet to tap the handle end of the chisel to propel the blade forward incrementally. Many woodworkers will create stop-cuts that will prevent the chisel blade from cutting beyond a desired location.
Drawknives are other woodworking carving tools that are designed to remove wide shavings off flat or near-flat surfaces. This tool features a wide blade with wooden handles on either end; the blade faces inward, and the drawknife is pulled toward the worker for greater control and accuracy. It is known as a drawknife because the blade is drawn toward the user rather than pushed away from him or her, as is the case with most other knives or blades. Some drawknives feature a scooped blade instead of a flat one for carving cylinders or other hollow structures.
Power carvers and rotary devices are electronic tools that feature a motor that rotates a bit. The bit can be replaced with other bits of differing shapes to create various types of cuts on the wood. These woodworking carving tools tend to be more expensive than others, but the carving can be done much more quickly with these devices and, in some cases, much more smoothly and efficiently. The bits rotate at high speed, which means the cuts are faster and less likely to splinter or mar.