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[SkyRender]

 Dwarves smooth and engrave stone with their fingernails, actually.  They're thick as bones, and only get harder as a Dwarf does more smoothing and engraving.  Which is why a novice Dwarf takes a good week to finish smoothing a single tile, while a legendary Dwarf can engrave a dining hall in a single day.  A legendary engraver's fingernails can split diamonds.

[612DwarfAvenue]

I am now going to mod in beards as a fifth limb, and give them [GRASP].

Urist McNorris punches you in the head with his beardfist!

[UristMcDwarf]

Fortifications are a result of stone + berdpunch

[Eric Blank]

I would have to say that small tools like engraving equipment are simply not mentioned, though 'present' in some sense. I find the beard idea a fine joke, but ultimately too ridiculous.

[UristMcDwarf]

I would have to say that small tools like engraving equipment are simply not mentioned, though 'present' in some sense. I find the beard idea a fine joke, but ultimately too ridiculous.

Ridiculous is a game with Cave Swallow Mean and Magma'd elfs?

[Mister Always]

I liked the idea of them using their beards and fingernails.

I did previously mention that I thought dwarven fingernails would be long and untrimmed, but that was in another thread.

[Urist Da Vinci]

I think it's Dwarf magic. It also fits with my theory about Dwarf magic being in their constructive abilities. For example, one pillar of soap can support a steel fortress, water reactors defy the laws of energy exchange, bridges can destroy matter completely, levers can operate things remotely with just mechanisms, a workshop made from just a single glass block can create rock furniture, metal weapons, or silk clothing.

Dwarves use quantum entanglement to link a pair of remote mechanisms. That is why, when the linking job is interrupted after the first mechanism is placed, but before the second mechanism is placed, the next dwarf to take the job has to run to the first mechanism to touch it again. At least, that is the behaviour I noticed back in 40d. In 31.xx, the mechanic won't take a lunch/drink/sleep break until both jobs are done.

[Darvi]

I am now going to mod in beards as a fifth limb, and give them [GRASP].

Meaning of course that beards can be cut off. Noooooo!

[Musashi]

I like the ideas of beards, but let's not forget that there are female dwarfs, and in vanilla, they are beardless.
Sure, that means they could use their hair... but what of clean-shaven female engravers? 

[Gergination]

An explanation that I kind of came up with on my own is that dwarves have an innate connection with the stone.  They basically just push against it really hard and it molds for them.  Then they use their extremely calloused hands like sandpaper and just rub them over the stone a bunch till it's smooth.

[EddyP]

The same way that masons, carpenters, mechanics, crafters, and metalsmiths do their work.

[Sutremaine]

Sure, that means they could use their hair... but what of clean-shaven female engravers? 

Their engravings only reach hip height.

[Tokkius]

I prefer to think that they use tools.

[katana]

I'm going with nails, I've seen an ettin decapitated by a recruit's scratch.

[JacenHanLovesLegos]

Every dwarf is born with a tiny tool kit in their beard.