This combination tool has a twisted shank of high carbon tool steel, and is tipped with a different tool at each end: a burnisher and a needle point scribe.
Burnishers are used to flatten a section of a plate in order to remove engraved or etched patterns and lines. This 'erases' the marks on this area. Do not use the end of the tool; use the 'belly' of the tool, just below the tip.
The other end of the tool has a needle point scribe. If this tool is used to add detail or tone directly to the metal plate (a technique known as 'drypoint'), it will inscribe a line with a slight burr, which will print a blurred, indistinct line. This effect can be controlled by manipulating the angle at which the point meets the plate. This end of the tool is designed to be resharpened periodically.
This tool is manufactured by EC Lyons.
