Burin from the French burin meaning "cold chisel" has two
specialised meanings for types of tools in English, one meaning
a steel cutting tool which is the essential tool of engraving,
and the other, in archaeology, meaning a special type of lithic
flake with a chisel-like edge which was probably also used for
engraving, or for carving wood or bone. An engraving burin is
used predominantly by intaglio engravers, but also by relief
printmakers in making wood engravings. Its older English name,
still often used, is graver. The burin consists of a rounded
handle shaped like a mushroom, and a tempered steel shaft,
coming from the handle at an angle, and ending in a very sharp
cutting face. In use, it is typically held at approximately a
30-degree angle to the surface. The index and middle finger
typically guide the shaft, while the handle is cradled in the
palm. Of note is the 16th century Flemish engraver Hendrik
Goltzius, whose malformed hand was ideally suited for the
cradling and guiding of a burin. Burins ty