All carving woods are kiln dried slowly to reduce stress. All are harvested in the northern part of their range where they grow slowly, resulting in superior working properties. 16/4 lumber is the maximum that can be efficiently kiln dried. Carvings requiring thicker stock should be laminated.
Basswood Carving Stock—Good News!
It’s been out of stock for several years but I now have select northern basswood in stock again. 4/4 is $2.25/BF, 5/4 is $2.45/BF, 8/4 is $2.65/BF, 12/4 is $3.45/BF, and 16/4 is $3.80/BF. We also have random blocks sold by weight, priced at $1.65/lb.
Basswood—For carvers, we stock 4/4 & 5/4 for relief carving. The thicker stock, 8/4, 12/4, and 16/4 is for larger carvings. Large pieces are sold by the board foot (see standard inventory listing). Random blocks are less expensive, approximately $1.75/BF, but measured by the pound – Price is $1.65/lb.
Butternut—Considered by many to be the the most beautiful of the northeastern hardwoods, trees large enough to yield good 12/4 and 16/4 are hard to find. Butternut is similar in hardness to basswood but is a dark brown color with a stronger grain pattern and is usually given a clear finish. Call for availability.
Carver’s Pack—Basswood carving blocks of various sizes, 2-4 inches thick, 3-9 inches wide and up to around 24 inches long, depending on what’s in stock. The CP-30 Carver’s Pack has 30 lbs. of basswood- enough to keep the average carver busy for a long time. For the real carving addict, the CP-65 has 65 lbs. of basswood. (Call for prices).
All carving images on this page are the work of our customers.