Are you looking for the best wood to carve a walking stick? This article will give you a Biology lesson that will define the qualities of the different woods that are recommended for carving. These woods are highly recommended for any carving that you wish to pursue.
The Biology lesson will be short and it will define the difference between hardwoods and conifers. Hardwood trees are Angiosperms, flowering plants. Conifers are identified as gymnosperms, and actually are more primitive than Angiosperms. If you investigate the trunk of a hardwood and a conifer, you will see a distinct difference in the wood when comparing the two.
The economic importance of angiosperms, flowering plants, is the products they produce. The list is very long, but the categories of the products is (1) food--vegetables, cereals, fruits, nuts, (2) shelter-- structural timbers, and other uses of woods ( oak,mahagony, walnut, maple, etc.); clothing fibers-- Cotton, (3) drugs, etc... and the list goes on. Contrasting conifers, the greatest economic importance is sources of lumber, timbers, fuel, and other structural materials. Conifer trees, or gymnosperms, have pine trees such as Douglas fir, redwood, spruce, fir, cedar, cypress and others.
Ok, there are species of hardwoods to meet many specialized needs. Because of specific physical and appearance properties, some hardwoods are preferred for furniture, paneling, construction, flooring, etc.... Woods used for wood carving can also be included in the list of specialized needs.
The woods to consider for carving a walking stick is a personal choice, and some common woods to consider is aspen, basswood, birch, red cedar, tupelo, hickory, lemonwood, and yellow poplar. The carvings that I attach to aspen walking sticks is carved from basswood. In the author's resource section, please refer to my URL to observe what can be done with basswood. It is easily carved, sanded and finished as you choose.
Both basswood and tupelo are very popular woods' for carving. Basswood's Genus is TILIA and the species is Americana. The Southern Basswood Genus and species is TILIA heterophylla. Basswood is one of the softest hardwoods in regular commercial use. Basswood is noted for fine even grain and exceptional stability. It carves easily with a sharp knife. Basswood is found to some extent throughout the Eastern United States, with half the timber in the Lake Superior region. Northern Basswood is considered superior to southern stock. Aspen, in recent years, has become a popular substitute for basswood.
Tupelo and black gum are very similar to basswood. The Genus is NYSSA and species is sylvatica and biflora.These trees grow in swampy areas of the eastern half of the United States. They are soft hardwoods and excellent for carving birds, fish and duck decoys. This wood carves exceptionally well with a sharp knife.
You can purchase these carving woods by going on the internet. Type into your search engine, basswood carving stock. There are plenty of suppliers in Minnesota, and Wisconsin. If you do not have access to aspen to use for a stick, use the internet and go to TreelineUSA. This company has many different kinds of wood that can be used to start a walking stick project. Although I do not have a large supply of aspen, I can supply you with an aspen stick and a basswood cut-out of a bufflehead drake head, for a duck stick or if you like owls, a great horned owl stick. I encourage you to start carving as it is a wonderful hobby and with practice, you are hooked.
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