Cutting a Letter in Stone

A demonstration of a technique called 'chopping' used to cut deep letters in limestone, slate or marble.

[@The25bear]

It's 2am and I'm watching someone carve an R into stone. What a night

[@ghengistron1425]

2:14 am for me, i'm mesmerized

[@YAHGOA]

3:33 AM something about being half asleep...

[@tazmik18]

Maximum Sandwich 2:18 and a year later.

[@rediop4309]

05h32 am and going to bed soon. Don't know for you but I've lost my wife and was interested about how guys are curving letters in stone/marble. And here I am. Beautiful work.

[@exorcismexcitement]

3:16 am heree

[@andrewtwhittle]

The stone is a Limestone called Pondfree from Purbeck in Dorset, thank you for the compliment.

[@zandramacleod8137]

can you use this technique in sandstone?

[@danoive]

This video brings a sense of satisfaction I am unfamiliar with. I've never carved stone, or anything for that matter, but this touched me.

[@andrewtwhittle]

Thank you Kyle for your lovely comment. There is great satisfaction in exercising a skill that has been well learnt.

[@beatusqui]

Kyle, get a lump of stone (ebays not bad for a bit a small block of limestone just do it) and a few chisels for yourself, you will never regret it :))

[@ripshilkett]

Ancestors brother , your higher self remembers doing this thousands years ago

[@heru-deshet359]

You may think "OK, that doesn't look too hard". Then you see that perfect "O". Yeah, totally bad ass craftsman.

[@smasica]

Heartening to see that old world skills aren't dead. Kudos.

[@bethinnocence5111]

I am amazed at the skill, patience and at times very delicate touch...I imagine a hundred Roman letter-cutters tink-tink-tinking away at magnificent edifices to write things, great things...but in a dark little corner of my mind (which resembles Mr Whittle's dungeon/workshop), I couldn't help but visualize Brian and his "Romanes eunt domus" and the Centurion...

[@DatCupcake]

I don't know why, but this is just so memorizing to watch.

[@VliengWieng]

Are you trying to remember the whole thing?

[@th1mself]

You could be experiencing ASMR

[@EverydayMathMagic]

I think he's trying to say "mesmerizing"

[@DatCupcake]

sa are Yup, apparently I couldn't spell that day.

[@michaelkummer4740]

frechieguy same I love it so much I'm crying 😂

[@moogie3111]

Oh my goodness, that's amazing. No Dremel nonsense here! Really beautiful, and a pleasure to watch!

[@napsasasa]

no wonder it took 40 days to make the 10 commandments

[@LukeA1223]

Took longer than that... god used his finger...

[@UpcomingJedi]

Noah used water instead of a chisel so they wouldnt catch him working. Its a lot quieter though it took longer.

[@jehielhernandez8152]

Garras Porgratix Moses, not Noah

[@righteousred723]

And andrew has steel tools!

[@SquirrelsForAll]

Good Lord, I'd surely make an irreparable error at the very end! Incredible work from a true master. WOW!

[@franktimmermans6435]

I have been working for a masonry for 23 years. Experience enough. Now I have started working for myself. I go of my clients. to the graveyard and cut the letters on the gravestone. I am now 54 years old and after all those years, I still find the work very satisfying.

[@robertortiz9737]

Hey can I pick your brain

[@humphreysmasonry2281]

Is this lime stone or soap stone

[@MarshButcher]

This is truly an art form. I wish I had the gift to do this. Excellent video!!

[@bananapunks]

it's not a gift, it's something you learn with a lot of practice!

[@ralphhornbeck7283]

Master stone carving. Nice job. I've been a mason for 25 years cutting stone, and I'm impressed.

[@andrewtwhittle]

Thanks Ralph, I appreciate that

[@lucyjackson9408]

Hey! I’m just getting into stone carving my goal is to do a headstone for my father. I want to make it look like the old headstones you see in the cemetery from the 17 1800’s so I’m going to be using sandstone. If I could ask you for some advice on tools. I was told to get the Trow& Holden lettering kit but bc of the price and bc sandstone is a soft stone I wanted to make sure I’m getting the right tools. If there is a cheaper alternative that is still good quality that would be great too! Thank you in advance!

[@lucyjackson9408]

Also any advice on what to practice on?

[@Dietpepsiahh]

I am a Historian and I love this, there are so many things in the old world that were made just like this but the history books make no mention of exactly how it was done.

[@kh-ro5su]

lol clearly you're not actually a historian. there are plenty of records explaining how old world practices like this are done

[@user-in9xo6zo9p]

his greatest tools, hands, eyes, coordination, patience, even the sound of the strike. All combining instinctively after many years of honing his skill. Fascinating to watch, and as a creative person inspirational. thanks for posting.

[@mcsnodgrass8989]

Thank you Andrew Whittle. A privilege to see you work your magic.

[@mobiusII]

When I see this, I think about how it must have sounded when hundreds of stone workers carved the heiroglyphics into all those Egyptian monuments.

[@butchblosc]

You need to see something like this in order to have an appreciation for the work involved next time you see a gravestone or something similar.

A true artist for sure. Beautiful work. Thanks for posting!

[@MrFun2know]

I'm not into this form of art, but I must say; this is wonderful to watch. Amazing work Sir!

[@pumpkintown]

Thanks for showing this technique Mr Whittle. I would be interested in the full video when it is available. Truly a Master, Sir!!! Thanks Again!!

[@bradpix51]

I love the simplicity video. It concentrates one your skill and that makes it worth watching.

[@pisymph]

Thanks for posting this and making this video. I love cutting letters into stone!

[@meandmyevo]

Jeez! And I thought I wrote slow! Just kidding, this is amazing to watch. Thank you so much for sharing this lovely art form!

[@MarshButcher]

I hope you make more videos like this as they are so interesting to watch!

[@barumman]

A very nice video showing great skills, thank you for sharing it with us.

[@theuniversityofeverything8159]

Now THAT is a SkILL, I admire you Andrew.

[@AFinAZ98]

I could watch hours of this. Please post more!

[@davidking3311]

All with the same chisel, quite impressive.

[@ctchickenmom]

There is something infinitely satisfying about the rhythm of the tapping.

[@GingerLeeH]

What an expert artisan. Magnificent.

[@jbradbury2]

Good Job, Lovely soft Limestone to carve, I love dorset stone. The stone I carve is Gritstone from derbyshire, its not as fine grained as this but still fantastic stone

[@heyyyyyynow]

Amazing control. Thanks for uploading this.

[@lookingforsomething505]

Thanks for sharing. Learned a lot from this video.

[@notwrkn2mch]

That was really good and very relaxing to watch

[@kennkid9912]

At our local fair we have a guy,that carves in stone.He does a lot of memorials, building stuff, he is a sculptor too.He has junk slate and people watching are encouraged to pick up a chisel and mallet and give it a shot. So I stepped up. To say I stank at lettering would be an understatement. Of course with everybody watching and him right there, the stress was incredible. I whiffed .

[@vaughanrichards7438]

Quite incredible. Don't think I could ever learn to do that if I practiced for the rest of my life.

[@MrJacksaces]

Thanks for showing how it's done, skilled hands sir.

[@bejingmao]

one of the very most worthwhile videos on Youtuve, certainly more so than anything by Cardi B.

[@thedueyonder1]

Great great work and I love the stone, thank you so much.

[@12StringHWY]

AND ........ thank you for just demonstrating and not running your mouth for 20 minutes. Lead by example is awesome

[@robertalexander7661]

This is AWESOME! I'm going outside to carve my name on the patio!!!! Awesome video!!!!

[@amandaspaintinglessons9908]

you made me laugh, thank you :D

[@nycbycellphone]

You make it look so easy! I couldn't find in your replies a recommendation for tools. That chisel you use looks amazing.

[@WHCAudio]

I feel like I could get really stoned and sit and do this all day.

[@Science-ev1he]

_stoned?_

[@cosmicsprings8690]

Shitty Bill stoned with stones and the Beatles

[@Rampant_Colt]

no pun intended

[@JahanZeb1976]

Great work. It seems a great skilled work.

[@camillalaursen6651]

Beautiful work 👍🏻

[@Alistarwormwood]

I just watched a video about "Traditional Sandblasting" on a headstone. I needed this pallet cleanser

[@bigwooleycritter]

Very, very nice. Thanks so much for posting..

[@cruspotato]

this is oddly calming to watch ....

[@firsttruckjorgensen]

You sir, have mad skills!

[@MrJsowa]

geez man this is a beautiful craft! All i can say is Im 22 and the day i die,i want a small simple headstone with HAND CARVED LETTERING,im a young blacksmith so i know some-what the skill involved with carving,grooving,fluting sheet and other metals.IMHO it would be a shame to have a headstone carved out by a mill,along with 50 other names that day... and 10 rejects... keep your craft alive!

[@andrewtwhittle]

yes, the complete inscription reads 'R' PHONE HOME Andrew

[@geonjan1]

awesome andrew I hope you have one or a few students learning the trade form you. So many of the fine arts, antiquated nescessities are being lost to cad operated machines. I find myself pretty handy with a chisel to wood might have to try stone now. Since you make it look soooo ez. lol looks like alotta fun

[@rockafeladave]

This was relaxing to watch

[@Thedoctor19000]

@andrewtwhittle: Thank you for the information. I thought there needed to be a finish for a stone carving such as this.

[@ronkarson8314]

Learned alot. Thanks.

[@tannerherzman5762]

this is a amazing craft soo much skill its so addictive to watch lol.. its like metal/working blacksmithing.

[@stclairstclair]

Tanner Herzman, Metal working is very forgiving, Mistakes can be easily repaired most times, stone....not so much.

[@DalV]

One slip and he has to start over. What talent.

[@MattSlapps]

This was the “oddly satisfying” part of the Stone Age

[@skyj5529]

Lol, thanks for that!

[@GarbageKnight]

i just started getting into this as a hobby...and my first attempt was a tree of life...i like it..but yeah he make it look easy...guy has some good control..id of busted that R all to a mess.

[@f.a.kefacebook5688]

Perfect for marking any railroad crossing!

[@Rampant_Colt]

Andrew you are a master stone carver

[@williamwoohoo2]

hello! will you be making more videos? this is great to watch.

[@nagarathinamrajeshkumar5305]

Patience 💖 with perfection

[@hurricanebear7065]

Beautiful. Thanks.

[@oliveranderson7962]

Well done lad Keep 'em coming please!

[@Khanstant]

this looks so fun

[@chrisdavid1410]

This, I must try.

[@JoeCubicle]

Great work.

[@lanceblack888]

Makes it look easy!

[@williamswhistlepipes]

Great video very helpful. So is this type of stone easier so calve than sand stone.

[@chuckedone]

Thanks, well done.

[@PappuDas-fq1ll]

Beautiful wark sir.

[@joelyboyblue]

That's amazing

[@myunicornlikesyou]

I enjoy the sound most of all

[@codylamberson5011]

I found this video a year or so ago and some nights I can't sleep without listening to it 🤷

[@andrewtwhittle]

I am pleased to be of help Cody

[@Landotter1]

Oh great! do you have a video to show us how? I'm intrigued by this. I have never seen it done before... Would love to see someone else's methods of doing it! Thanks in advance.

[@skripnigor]

great job!

[@andrewtwhittle]

thank you, lots of practise. A

[@philseamonk]

To get an appreciation of the technique, needed to be zoomed in most of the time. The long shots showed how he held the chisel and hammer but weren't much use apart from that.

[@DavidJones-we7gr]

I'm wanting to learn this skill so I can make headstones for my ancestors who have no grave marker so far 3 of them don't have a stone and I'm wanting to use local stone as for a period style head stone for my 3rd great grandma my 2nd great grandma and her 9 year old son.

[@zarrir]

Awesome! Andrew, what is the brand and type of this chisel? Tunsten tipped?

[@liviucerneafschi8873]

how easy it seams to be in the hands of a pro.

[@sompuradenish8299]

Nice work

[@clinthymes5067]

Just curious as to why the R’s are different. The left one is further out on the arc and the right one the foot goes directly up to the angle.

[@bengkelmarmerindonesia1950]

Great job :)

[@SammaNoyobay]

Wow very nice 👍

[@abrasdwe]

Great skill

[@Eusepio1957]

Un vero artigiano bravo!

[@llewgibson]

Just viewed your video mate, absolutely love the content. Subbed straight away, We should connect!

[@itsFrankieSB]

Amazing

[@lucyjackson9408]

I am going to be carving into sandstone. I was told to get Trow&Holden lettering kit. It’s almost $400 so I wanted to ask someone bf I got it if this are the right tools for sandstone also is there anything cheaper and still good quality? I’m just starting out and don’t really know anything about it yet.

[@userant]

Thank you

[@MrTachyon3000]

Makes me want to try it. But I need to find a chisel specifically for that purpose I suppose.

[@tootsrr1]

Awesome it's all in the Wrist

[@Thesterness]

Thanks!

[@jimstools3937]

ANDREW you are an artist. Where can you buy those tools you use? Can you use a sand blaster also?

[@dusthound1]

Nice demo Andy-you taught me at Weymouth in 1990.The late John Garland came into one of your classes one morning and announced that Thatcher had stepped down as PM,and you jumped in the air with joy! Check out ernestone.ie and see if you remember me!

[@hamedzandi3827]

Ur the best good. Job

[@robopunkable]

Hi Thesterness, not sure where you would find them in the US, they are easily available in the UK, my choice is a tungsten tipped lettering chisel called 'univers' made in europe, sold here by Avery Knight of Bath UK. The dummy is by Tiranti of London, but a lump hammer with the handle shortened works fine. good luck Andrew