The Konyak Naga tribe of Nagaland are making and using the traditional iron chisels. These chisels are hand tools and the main tools used for wood carving by artisans, construction, or simply any other day-to-day work. It consists of a rectangular iron blade inserted securely into a ringed iron handle. This construction demonstrates the ingenuity of the tribe to create durable and efficient tools from locally available materials. Ironwork is very much a part of Konyak material culture, done by skilled tribal blacksmiths who make other tools and implements of agriculture, carpentry, and household use. The chisel helped make things: tools for working with wood, wooden structures, masks, sculptures, and functional objects. Metalwork and woodwork are the two great skills of the tribe.
The ringed handle gives a firm grip and reinforces the joint that absorbs shock on use. The rectangular blade sharp on edges allows precision in cut, shape, and engraving, which is indispensable in the making of exquisitely carved dwelling houses and community dormitories (morungs) and ritualistic objects which are so characteristic of the Konyaks. The iron chisel thus represents not just a tool but a testimony to skill, hard work, and tradition for the Konyak community. Such tools handed down from generations stand testimony to technological adaptation and cultural resilience in an area where traditional knowledge is still being maintained along with modern practices.