Sometimes the simplest tools are the most useful. When I started carving ice, I assumed that the most expensive chainsaw and the most exotic Japanese chisels would be my most essential tools (well, my current chainsaw actually was pretty expensive.) My first tools were a Shindaiwa chainsaw, a six-prong ice chipper, and a V-chisel. As soon as possible, I discarded the six-prong in favor of my next tools, a couple of flat chisels.

    Many years later, the six-prong reappeared as I began to appreciate the value of some of the simpler mainstays among ice tools. The simplest is, of course, the ice pick. Only one sixth as complex as a six prong, an ice pick can change ice faster than a chainsaw. Ice picks are cheap and very effective for certain effects.

    Ice pick tips:

    1) Use an ice pick to dismantle large carvings instead of trying to remove them whole. Picks can be used to pop welds or break apart large pieces of ice quickly and easily. Beware of the sharp edges created and always start at the top of a sculpture, removing small pieces as you go.

    2) Picks create a rough, broken ice look for the base and edges of carvings where appropriate. This rough, chipped look can be combined with clean engraving for an effective contrast.

    3) Use a pick to break apart scrap ice to put at the base of your sculptures. Often more attractive than cubed or crushed ice, it also melts slower and adds to the presentation.

    4) If the tip is bent as in the pick above, carefully straighten it, as this makes the pick less effective. It’s pretty easy to break the tip off completely, however, making it almost useless.

    5) Ice picks are so effective because they concentrate force into a very small, sharp point. Only stab directly into ice if you intend to break it apart. For surface effects, pick at an angle.

    Ice picks from Ice Crafters run about $1.50 if I remember correctly. I buy 10 to 20 at a time. They come complete with a little bit of advertising from Ice Crafters. I talked with Alice a couple of months ago about it and fortunately, she has yet to take any calls from a police officer wondering why one of her ice picks was at a crime scene.