buril

Buril, also known as burin in some languages, is a hand tool used in engraving to incise lines into a hard surface, most prominently metal plates for intaglio printmaking. The tool consists of a hardened steel blade set in a handle, traditionally made of wood or horn, and designed to be held at a slight angle while pressed or pushed across the surface. The sharp edge removes metal to create a groove that will hold ink for printing.

Construction and varieties vary in blade profile. Tips can be pointed for fine, delicate lines or broader for thicker strokes, and may be straight, curved, or lozenge-shaped to produce different line qualities and shading. While burils are most closely associated with metal engraving on copper, zinc, or steel, similar graver tools are also used for wood and stone carving, jewelry, and decorative metalwork.

Technique and applications. In intaglio printing, an engraver uses the buril to cut lines into a plate, often employing cross-hatching and varied line work to create tone and texture. The plate is then inked, wiped, and run through a press to transfer the ink from the grooves to paper. Beyond printmaking, burils are used by jewelers and metalworkers to decorate and sign metal surfaces, and by artisans in various forms of decorative engraving.

History and context. Burils have been employed since medieval times, playing a central role in goldsmithing, manuscript illumination, and later copperplate printmaking in Renaissance Europe. Today, while some mechanical engraving methods have reduced its dominance, the buril remains a fundamental tool for traditional hand engraving and craftsmanship.