We all recognize wood carving as an art form. I visited Jim Drury in Gravenhurst, Ontario to take a look at his work and then asked him to show us how to use his favorite carving tool, forcing him to choose from amongst many many knives.
Of course his favorite knife, the fantail chisel, is not easy to find. I did manage to locate a longer version of his little stubby fantail and worked on mastering the master's strokes.
The photo shows the wide slow curve on this chisel, compared to a straight flat chisel.
The key to his nice slice in the wood is his thumb pushing sideways on the side of the chisel while he swings the handle around at the same time. His "swing and slice" motion is what cuts the wood cleanly.