pitching, knapping, etc.

[Tomas Lipps <tmlipps@zzzzzzzzzzzzz>]

yeh, there's a pleasure in the skillful practice of pitching off
stone, particularly granite, limestone, close-grained sandstone.  the
resistance of the stone, the angle at which the pitching tool is
held, the degree of force imparted by the hammer, when all is
properly intuited and performed and "blang" a slab is sheared away
leaving the desired plane, no shoulder to be worked off, no hollow
requiring another approach -very satisfying. but there's no lingering
over the pleasure as you've already moved along to repeat the action.

I'm unfamiliar, though with the technique used to achieve the
scalloped surface pictured in George's monument or by Bill's Japanese
sculptor, one of the first ones he introduced .  would like to see
someone expert at that at work.