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Working bone required tools adapted to material’s hardness and brittleness—different from wood-working tools though sometimes superficially similar.
The Knives:
Fine-pointed knives with strong blades carved detail—removing small amounts of material, creating surface decoration, forming shapes that couldn’t be achieved through sawing alone. The knives had to be sharp constantly—bone dulled edges rapidly, required frequent honing, rewarded craftsmen who maintained tools properly.
The Scrapers:
Flat scrapers smoothed surfaces—removing saw marks, refining shapes, creating finished surface quality. The scraping was slow, methodical work—repeated passes removing thin layers, gradually achieving desired result through accumulated small cuts.
The Drills:
Bow drills or hand drills created holes—for attaching components, for decorative effect, for functional purposes like needle eyes or comb teeth. The drilling had to be careful—too much pressure cracked bone, misaligned hole ruined piece, breaking through to far side required slowing just before breakthrough to prevent splintering.
The drill bits were metal or harder stone—materials that could cut bone without immediate dulling. The rotation had to be smooth, pressure consistent, angle maintained—requirements that made drilling skill-intensive operation where beginners broke many pieces before achieving competence.
The Files:
Metal files refined shapes—working material faster than scraping, creating specific geometries, smoothing surfaces to near-final condition. The files wore down through use—bone was abrasive, gradually destroying file teeth, requiring periodic file replacement.
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