“Oak is a pleasure to carve and is my preferred choice of wood to work with.”
Dafydd Hughes

Properties of wood used in woodcarving

Learn about the different woods used in carving and their properties.

Oak

Oak is light brown to dark tan in colour, it is a dense wood so requires very sharp chisels when carving. Oak is comparatively expensive, but is very durable meaning it holds the detail of carving very well.

Pine

Pine is a light wood in colour mostly with a yellow hint to it; pine is a soft wood and is soft to carve, unlike oak. Pine is also an inexpensive wood so was historically used when a piece was to be gilt - meaning to cover the carving in gold leaf. Pine is a very knotty wood, which can hinder the woodcarving process, however, it is a good timber to work with.

Fruitwoods

“Lime is my preferred timber from the fruitwood family.”
Dafydd Hughes Lime is very pale in colour, often with a white hue. Lime is an easier wood to carve than pine as it does not have many knots and it is possible to achieve great detail in the carving.
Cherry is another fruitwood which is good to carve with. Cherry can vary hugely in colour from light brown to dark red. Cherry can add a great finish to a carving and is also very durable.

Mahogany

Mahogany is reddish to light brown colour and can be a difficult wood to carve, requiring sharp chisels. Mahogany can be an expensive timber but is very durable.