Step 1: Carving the Block
Block carving is its own art, and the craftspeople who make block carvings
are very specialized. The best blocks come from knotless, smooth cross sections
of teak tree trunks. The wood is soaked in oil sometimes for up to two weeks,
sanded smooth, and then whitened with chalk. The carvers trace designs onto the
surface and then, using only hammer and chisel and a delicate touch, whittle patterns
into the wood. A well-made block can last through printing anywhere from 1,000 to
1,500 meters of fabric before its fine edges wear down. For especially fine designs,
some blocks are made of brass or copper, with crisp-edged strips that are bent on a
tree trunk and affixed to a base. A new design is first traced onto the wood with
black pencil. Then it’s “punched” into the wood so a carver can refine it with a chisel.
Detailed carving of a new block can take many hours or a couple of days to complete.
