Carving Made Easy: Top Wood Choices for Every Skill Level

The ideal carver’s wood might be as soft as white pine, with mahogany’s straight grain, totally without knots or difficult grain, and able to hold detail as well as persimmon. But the next carver in line may well prefer working with very hard woods that dull tools quickly, with difficult grain including knots acting as designed in pieces to add to the attractiveness of the finished carving.

Here, we’ll take a look at the first set of features—those that make carving easier—but we’ll also examine some difficult-to-carve woods that provide extra satisfaction for many woodworkers.

Notes on Wood Preparation

Because wood dries slowly when air-dried, tensions are released gradually. Fast drying in kilns, if not well monitored, can create internal stresses, adding to those already present from the tree’s growth. For this reason, air-dried wood is usually best for carving. However, air-dried wood only acclimates to the ambient humidity of its storage environment….