New purfling pick.
I made a new purfling pick today. When I was at the London College of Furniture, there was a great deal of conversation about purfling tools. Many of the part-time students in the evening classes had been coming to make violins for many years, and everyone had a preferred shape and material. They mostly repurposed old files into violin tools, and so it was with most of the purfling picks in that workshop. Although they varied a bit, they had the same basic shoe-like shape with a flat bottom 3mm - 4mm long and an edge ground into the tip to make it sharp.
I used this design myself for many years, but I became dissatisfied with it because the back edge did not clear the tight curves in the corners and would create an unwanted bevel on the edge of the trench.
I love tools, and tool shops are always a magnet for me. When I lived in Auston, Texas, I would visit a jewelry supply store that stocked the most beautiful tools and supplies. It was there that I became aware of the Jeweler's Graver. These little jewels have a blade point that swoops down with a fine edge and a short footprint of just a few millimeters. It is made of carbon steel, so the edge is keen and does not need frequent sharpening.
This most recent tool pictured came from Rio Grande Jewelry Supply in Albuquerque, NM, and is catalog item E.C. Muller Carbon Steel Bent Line Graver #10. It takes a little work to turn it into a purfling pick, but a small amount will take care of that easily. The end of the graver tapers slightly, and I like to remove the taper so the whole bottom of the shoe is the same width, and there is no need to keep the graving lines and a straight edge honed. Note that the flat part of the graver end goes at the bottom of the trench.
Happy purfling is good purfling.