Deadwood Carving

[Bonsai Tonight] Samual Tan picked up deadwood carving early and recommends to beginners:

…following the grain of the wood, using a chisel and pliers to peel away strands of wood, and wearing cut-proof gloves.

The first technique uses a chisel to deepen deadwood along the trunk.

Begin by inserting the head of the [flat] chisel [edge] parallel with the grain of the wood.

After pulling the strands of wood away from the tree, use a pair scissors to cut the separated strands.

From here there are two options. The loose strand can be pulled with finger and chisel or with a pair of pliers. First the finger and chisel approach.