Dear Walter...

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 - For carvers, we stock 4/4 & 5/4 for relief carving.  The thicker stock, 8/4, 10/4, 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 $.95/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. (See Project Pack page for details).