[kitaye]

I purchased some scrap wood from a dealer and one of the pieces was labeled butternut. I've read here and other places that, besides basswood, butternut is the best wood for a beginner. I drew up a spoon pattern and started carving but I'm having a devil of a time with it.

The wood will take a score line very easily, and seems to chip easily enough. But, when I try to shape it I can barely get a shaving to come off. The wood seems very hard to me. I thought it as a problem with my knide so I honed it and tried again but it didn't seem to make a difference. I've been working at the carving for two days now, about 4 hours each day, and I've only managed to rough out the lower end of the spoon's bowl.

Anyone with more experience with butternut have some thoughts on this? Is it likely I have something other than butternut? Or, is butternut harder to work with than I thought?

[susieq]

Is the wood heavily grained? Butternut is very distinctive in appearance. It is hard to mistake it for anything else..... Butternut is also harder than basswood so this may be natural. and.....everynow and then you get a piece that is even harder than normal. I got a log of poplar once that was rock hard on one side, the whole length of the log. I would say keep working, keep touching up your tools as you go. It may be difficult to work but harder woods usually take a final finish beautifully. We would love to see it when it's finished.

[kitaye]

The wood is very grained, has a nice light brown colour, and the cuts I've made are very shiny almost polished looking. I'll keep working at it, if only because I don't want to waste the wood, and I'll show off what I manage to do.

[Gergie]

That sure doesn't sound like Butternut. I'm working on a pheasant in butternut and you should be more worried about taking to much wood off because it's very comparable to basswood in hardness. If you have a chance post a picture of your spoon we might be able to till what kind of wood it is.

Good luck!

[susieq]

The grain and color you describe sounds like butternut. The hardness may be just an unusually hard bit. It happens. I have always found butternut to be a little harder than basswood but you may have gotten a piece that was harder than that even.... It will finish beautifully.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

have some butternut and have carved a few pieces but I really couldn't tell much difference between it and basswood......trees are like people, "ya nevr kno whut yull git!" LOL

[mdallensr]

You may have a piece of slow-growing butternut, maybe northern grown. I like harder butternut, since the softer variety tends to be a little brittle and fuzzy. Still, it shouldn't be like a piece of oak. Try roughing out with a gouge. A #7 x 3/8 or 1/2 does a good job. Good luck. Mike

[Eddy Smiles]

No! Hi-Ho! That was a box of chocolates!

[pallin]

I have seen considerable variation in butternut. I did a chip carving in the lid of an old box and it was quite hard. Some whittling in fresh butternut was a lot like basswood. The grain and color is very distinct. I think it is sometimes refered to as American or White Walnut.

[squbrigg]

It may not be Butternut.... I make the same mistake every so often, in a hurry I'll grab a piece that looks like Butternut, only to find once I start carving, they are Cherry. Cherry carves much harder than Butternut, still carvable, but slower. Holds detail better too.

Bob