David Barnett - SW Florida
>The hot (not boiling) water method works better for higher fat chocolates whereas the dry method is better for hard darks. Some wipe (actually 'swipe') the hot peeler on a damp sponge or cloth before and after reheating over the soot-free flame. Too hot a knife will ruin the temper of the chocolate (scorch the cocoa, break the oils, and adversely affect the fragile vanilla and other flavor components). You gots to get your rhythm on.

Berti (Italy) makes a chocolate knife/hammer set for chopping and chipping at just under $400 USD (ouch!). Belgian chocolatiers used a 'chocolat' knife for shaving blocks into rolls which could be petaled into roses and florets. These typically were offset both at the handle and by slitting and stepping the rear half of the blade, the lower blade section lifting the chocolate strip into the elevated set-back blade step, producing an even ribbon (ribbons can be poured, as well). The lower blade (bevel on the bottom) was considerably thicker. Some of these were double handled. Nowadays, a machine does all the work, whether cranked or motorized.

In Bogota I've seen fondues charged with chocolate chipped with wide (maybe 1 1 1/4" to 1 1/2", thick and short wood chisels. These seemed almost square at the ends. No bevel. These were also used (unheated) to pull a curl.