graver

A graver is a tool or a person associated with engraving. As a tool, it consists of a hardened steel blade with a sharp cutting edge mounted in a handle and is used to incise lines into materials such as metal, wood, ivory, glass, or stone to create decorative patterns, lettering, or intaglio printing lines. A person who uses such a tool to engrave is called a graver or engraver.

In metal engraving, gravers are typically used with hand pressure and short, controlled strokes; deeper cuts may be achieved with repeated passes or light hammering in some contexts. Gravures come in various profiles, chosen for the desired line quality: flat or straight gravers for broad lines; knife-edge or chisel gravers for finer work; square and round gravers for controlled widths or curved cuts. The blade is interchangeable in many handle designs, and blades are usually made of hardened steel or carbide for durability.

Beyond metalwork, gravers are employed in wood and other materials for decorative incisions or relief work. In printmaking, the term is closely related to the burin, a similar tool used to cut lines into a metal plate for etching or engraving.

History and usage context remain important: gravers are central to traditional jewelry, sign writing, and fine metalwork, though modern production often incorporates powered tools, while hand gravers retain a valued precision and control for detailed engraving.

See also: burin, engraving, metalworking, jewelry, sign writing.