Egg carving is done in two ways: lacing and sculpting. Both ways start with the same first step---preparing the egg for the project. The egg carver washes and disinfects the egg, removing the contents from inside. Egg carving is an expensive hobby, and enthusiasts make extensive use of specialized tools.
Burin and Shovel Knives
Hobbyists use an oblique burin to carve fine lines and details onto an egg; the carver uses a small, flat blade for corners and precision details and a large flat blade for rougher carving. Another egg carving tool, the shovel knife, levels the surface of the egg. When working on a project, burin knives and shovels must be in impeccable condition as an egg presents a delicate surface, and an imperfect tool could easily damage it. As such, sharpening tools such as whetstones are important to the craft. Knives and implements used in egg-carving need regular sharpening to be in their best conditions.
Sometimes eggs for a carver arrive from a hatchery, in which case the shipment arrives already washed, disinfected and ready to be transformed into a work of art. However, when an artist uses a fresh egg, it has to be cleaned and completely rid of its contents. An egg blower is a tool that washes away the white and the yolk from inside an egg. The egg carver makes a tiny hole on one end of the egg and pumps air from the other end, using the egg blower. After the contents are washed away, the carver cleans the egg with a disinfectant solution. An egg may also be "blown" by making one hole on its surface, rather than two. Small devices such as an ear bulb syringe or an injection syringe may also be fashioned into an an egg blower.
A carver uses the Dremel tool to drill holes on the egg surface and carve it into desired shapes. Essentially high-speed drilling machines, egg carvers adjust Dremel tools according to the type of egg (ostrich, duck, chicken, emu, etc.) and the type of curves. The bit defines the Dremel tool's drilling prowess, and there are a number of bits made specifically for egg carving hobbyists.
An egg carver will also need pencils, pens, erasers, sharpeners and markers for the hobby. These are important when the carver wants to reproduce an image on the surface of the egg from another source. The carver can then begin to work on the egg, going by the drawing on the egg.