Editing Chisel (section)

{{Short description|Tool for cutting and carving}}
{{About|the cutting tool|the hardware description language|Chisel (programming language)|the Australian rock band 'Cold Chisel'|Cold Chisel|the fictional character|Live with Yourself!#Characters{{!}}Chisel Dangerman}}
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[[File:Neolithic chisels 4100-2700 BC.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Neolithic stone chisels from Schleswig-Holstein, Germany around 4100 to 2700 BCE]]
[[File:Wood chisels.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|A selection of modern wood chisels]]

A '''chisel''' is a [[hand tool]] with a characteristic [[Wedge|wedge-shaped cutting edge]] on the end of its [[blade]]. A chisel is useful for [[carving]] or [[cutting]] a hard material such as [[woodworking|wood]], [[lapidary|stone]], or [[metalworking|metal]].<ref>"Chisel, n.1" def. 1.a. ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) © [[Oxford University Press]] 2009</ref> 

Using a chisel involves forcing the blade into some material to cut it. The driving force may be applied by pushing by hand, or by using a [[mallet]] or [[hammer]]. In industrial use, a [[hydraulic ram]] or falling weight ('[[trip hammer]]') may be used to drive a chisel into the material.

A [[Chisel#Gouge|gouge]] is a type of chisel that serves to carve small pieces from the material; particularly in [[woodworking]], [[woodturning]] and [[sculpture]].