Burin

A burin (also simply called burin; earlier pointer, Burin, Sculper, Scorper ) is an engraving tool, which is in use since the Renaissance. It serves mainly the processing of metal ( copper engraving, steel engraving ) or wood (wood engraving).

The chisel has a wooden handle and is almost always moves directly by hand and not with a hammer. The handle is usually pear-shaped pronounced to enable a firm grip. Usually this is the edge facing the flattened end of the handle, so that the fingers of the forward or backward movement is not a hindrance. The cutting edge is typically made of hardened steel.

The length of the chisel is between 8 and 11 cm. The cross section can vary. The sharp blade is made

Called from an angled top surface, and the cap or the shield and
The downwardly facing edge or surface, which coincides with the cap and thereby the cutting edge follows ( it is called sheet or ventre ).

History

With the development of copper, steel and wood engravings of the burin was quickly becoming a choice tool for artists and other editors of these materials. He belonged to the standard equipment of late medieval workshops. In the early modern period the graver part in Inquisition and witch trials to the instruments of embarrassing questioning; whether a use as an instrument of torture took place, has not been established; in several cases has been handed down in court documents, however, that the defendants charges confessions only after threat of " Stichelns ".

Molding

For the different works are used to different names prevailed or in part still common today:

Burin in the strict sense: used exclusively for engraving work
Meter pointer ( Onglette, knife -toe ): cross-sectional sharp wedge- shaped, the edge of the wedge is the path and forms with the triangular cap a very sharp tip
Spitzstichel ( spit sticker)
Flachstichel
Triangular Pricks
Boltstichel
Rundstichel
Oval graver
Fadenstichel