The cut, and the work to do so: the cut – away edge -i.e the corner taken from a right angle, at a 45degree, to create a sloping edge that is symmetrical at each side. A chamfer is not the same as a bevelled edge. Although of the same principle, bevelling affects one plane and can be at any angle, whilst chamfering affects adjacent planes, and ( almost always) both equally.
The corners of worktops, for example, often have the square edges chamfered – that is a small angled cut at the top, bottom, or both. This is enough to reduce visual impact if so needed, and to take away a potentially dangerous sharp edge. A chamfer can be left angular, or rounded to further soften the form by sanding – all sharp corners removed. A pencil edge is the tiniest possible chamfering then sanding, a bull nose edge is a more obvious version, with a wider radius – often at the edges of window sills of example.
All forms of shape and detail – torus, ogee, bolection fluting etc. begin life as chamfered cuts which are then softened-rounded to some degree.
A variable chamfer is, as suggested where there is difference in depth or angle or both on the adjacent sides.
The edges of fireplaces and joinery are often fully or partially chamfered as part of the design. In the past when work was hand made the result was less rigid than by machine.
To re-create the hand-made and look and feel of aged chamfering, particularly on wood, we ask for the work to be done with a spoke shave – the narrow plane-like tool that was, and is, used to shape ( cart) wheel spokes and chair legs. The slight unevenness that results ( or can result) is pleasingly warm and friendly both to see and to touch – even if the true ( original ) chamfer has to be imagined rather than seen.