Carving

It is possible to carve some items. This seems to be purely cosmetic.

To carve or sharpen an item you need to be holding a knife.

The following are items that can be customized by carving or something similar.

Elephant tusk

The elephant tusks sold in an ivory stall in the Djelibeybi bazaar can be carved by someone with enough skills. Carving it uses crafts.carpentry.whittling and crafts.arts.design.

Every time you look at the tusk you'll either see for the last line "This tusk would be of great use to an individual with such skills." which means you can't do any design or a random design each time you look at it, with more designs available if you have more skill. The skill checked might be crafts.arts.design.

Elephant tusks such as this one are highly prized by wealthy dilettantes across the Disc for the intricate designs that can be produced in the ivory by a suitably skilled craftsman.  You could try to carve <design> on it.

You can "carve <design> on <object>" while holding a knife and having the other hand free. This uses crafts.points. The more gp it takes the harder it is to carve.

This will change the last line to the chosen design with skill qualifiers.

If you don't have enough skill it damages the tusk: "Properly carved, it would be much sought after by discerning connoisseurs, but someone has already tried to do so and botched the job so badly that it isn't practical to salvage it."

If you try to carve a tusk on the ground or maybe without enough gp or if you stop while carving it changes it to "This tusk, has the beginnings of a carving of <design> on it. A suitably skilled craftsman might be able to complete the design." With enough skills you can finish it.

If you succeed it will be the result as below, with two qualifiers that are probably skills dependent:

First line This one has been adequately carved with <design>. This one has been capably carved with <design>. This one has been ably carved with <design>. This one has been skillfully carved with <design>. This one has been proficiently carved with <design>. This one has been adeptly carved with <design>. This one has been splendidly carved with <design>. This one has been elegantly carved with <design>. This one has been exquisitely carved with <design>. This one has been excellently carved with <design>. An able carving of <design> adorns this ivory tusk. A capable carving of <design> adorns this ivory tusk. A skillful carving of <design> adorns this ivory tusk. A proficient carving of <design> adorns this ivory tusk. An adept carving of <design> adorns this ivory tusk. An elegant carving of <design> adorns this ivory tusk. A splendid carving of <design> adorns this ivory tusk. A superb carving of <design> adorns this ivory tusk. An amazing carving of <design> adorns this ivory tusk.

Second line: ... is/are <quality>. just tolerably finished just acceptably sculpted just acceptable just satisfactorily formed only passably finished only passably accomplished only presentably finished only presentably polished only presentable only adequately shaped only satisfactory only competently produced passable capably rendered competent proficiently finished proficiently shaped ably done adeptly completed adeptly accomplished adept elegant skillful quite flawlessly polished quite flawless quite amazingly polished quite exquisite quite magnificent amazing brilliant quite exquisitely completed exquisitely formed exquisitely produced exquisite quite flawless quite brilliantly executed quite magnificently displayed quite magnificent quite superb excellent magnificently finished magnificent amazingly sculpted amazingly formed particularly amazing particularly magnificent

The designs you can see are limited by your crafts.arts.design bonus, allowing you to see all those that have the same gp cost at the same skill.

cr.ar.de bonus	Highest gp of designs seen
25-49	20
50-74	40
75-99	60
100-124	80
125-149	100
150-174	120
175-199	140
200-224	160
225-249	180
250-274	200
cr.ar.de bonus	Highest gp of designs seen

The known designs are:

Design	GP	The result is the first line with the design name as above and the details in this table with varying <quality>.
a caravan crawling through the endless desert	60	The sandstorm on the horizon is <quality>.
the citadel of Kom	100	The eagle perched on the highest minaret and the sand piled up against the walls are both <quality>.
the complete pantheon of Djelibeybi	200	The glare being exchanged by Tzut and Fhez is <quality>.
the complete pantheon of Ephebe	200	Tuvelpit's amphora is <quality>, although the way Patina's penguin looks a little bit like an owl is <quality>. The way Patina's penguin looks a little bit like an owl and Tuvelpit's amphora are <quality>, although the suggestion of wind around Flatulus is <quality>. The suggestion of wind around Flatulus and the way Patina's penguin looks a little bit like an owl are <quality>, although Tuvelpit's amphora is <quality>.
crocodiles lurking in a river	60	The expression in the crocodiles' eyes is <quality>.
an elephant dragging logs through a jungle	140	The wreckage left behind, the heavy chain and the tiny mahout are all <quality>. The wreckage left behind and the tiny mahout are <quality>, although the heavy chain is <quality>.
elephants stampeding through a melon farm	120	The outraged farmer in the background is <quality>.
the entire Necropolis flaring	120	The stepped surface of the larger pyramids and the tiny figure on the peak of the Great Pyramid are both <quality>.
an explorer discovering the Fountain of Youth	100	The decrepit statuary, the explorer's backpack and the plume of water coming from the fountain are all <quality>.
the face of Elenor of Tsort launching a thousand ships	200	The tiny bottle of champagne is <quality>.
frozen water falling from the sky	40	The suggestion of a gusting wind is <quality>. The suggestion of a gusting wind, the intricate detail of the snowflakes and the endless variety of shapes are all <quality>. The intricate detail of the snowflakes is <quality>.
the god Quezovercoatl speaking to the Tezumen people	100	The boxy shape in the background is <quality>, although the amalgam of races that is Quezovercoatl is <quality>.
the Great Pyramid under construction	120	The pair of supervising figures with abacuses, the newest block just beginning to float and the unexpected statue out the front are all <quality>.
a hippopotamus yawning	80	Its bulbous body is <quality>, although the way the waves ripple out from the yawn is <quality>.
interwoven strands of ivy	140	The unique pattern of veins on each leaf is <quality>, although the fineness of the rootlets holding the ivy in place is <quality>.
a leaf pattern	80	The daintiness of the stems is <quality>.
a lion watching the sunset	80	The last radiance of the sun is <quality>.
the lost city of Ee	60	The detail on the towering battlements of Ee and the suggestion of a heat haze in the surrounding desert are both <quality>.
merchants competing with one another in a crowded bazaar	160	The strained expression on the merchants' faces is <quality>, although the feigned disdain of passers-by is only <quality>.
an orang-utan swinging from tree to tree	100	The arboreal habitat is <quality>.
the palace of Djelibeybi	80	The cloaked figure on the roof is <quality>, although the fresco on the wall is <quality>.
a pattern like sand dunes	20	The slope of the dunes, the suggestion of texture and the irregular squiggle of the crests are all <quality>.
a pattern of falling leaves	120	The way the leaves are curled up at the edges is <quality>, although the suggestion of wind is <quality>.
a pattern of scales	60	The gentle graduation from fine snake-skin to rough crocodile-skin is <quality>.
a pharaoh looking regal in full ceremonial garb	140	The fierce expression on the mask is <quality>.
a profusion of Djelian roses in full bloom	180	The fragility of the stamens hiding in the hearts of the flowers is <quality>.
a pyramid flaring	20	The sloping of the pyramid is <quality>.
sailors bickering on board an Ephebian galley	160	The stern expression on the captain's face is <quality>.
small gods drifting aimlessly in the desert	40	The shapelessness of the small gods is <quality>.
someone carving an elephant tusk	120	The fractal design of the scene being carved is <quality>.
a Tezumen priest making a sacrifice to Quezovercoatl	80	The crowd of expectant worshippers is <quality>.
a tortoise looking thoughtful	160	The pockmark on its shell is <quality>.
a wave pattern	40	The asymmetry of the waves, the suggestion of foam on the crests and the uniformity of the pattern are all <quality>.
wildebeest frolicking on the savannah	100	The suggestion that the grass is swirling in the wind, the profusion of tracks running over the savannah and the curliness of the wildebeest's horns are all <quality>.
Design	GP	The result is the first line with the design name as above and the details in this table with varying <quality>.

For example, when carving "a caravan crawling through the endless desert" on a tusk, it can look like:

Elephant tusks such as this one are highly prized by wealthy dilettantes across the Disc for the intricate designs that can be produced in the ivory by a suitably skilled craftsman.  This one has been splendidly carved with a caravan crawling through the endless desert.  The sandstorm on the horizon is quite flawlessly polished.

Unsharpened spear

It is possible to sharpen an unsharpened spear in various styles.