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what kind of wood should a beginner carver use?

I am a beginner carver and I am buying a carving kit. What kind of wood would it be best to start out with, domestic or exotic?

Starting out in carving can be rather difficult with the choices. I strongly recommend that you don’t limit yourself to any kind of wood simply because its soft, hard, difficult, easy or any such label. More important then that is, that the wood you use is dry. I am talking more dry then firewood. Many carvers have slightly mixed opinions about this but I am sure most would agree that dry is best. If you must have the name of a wood I am partial to pine.

I think more important then the choice of wood is the choice of tools. I won’t recommend to you any carving tools or whittling knives because everyone has their own preferences. instead, I want to point you to the vice. The vice will save you from overcutting your wood and will also move your fingers much further away from the incredibly sharp tools you will be using. It will also allow you to use tapping techniques with a mallet. I own more then one vice and my favorite is the pipe vice shown in the following picture:

http://www.rsmetali.hr/cms/images/clanci_pictures/216.jpg

I also own two normal vices similar to this one:

http://birdhouse.org/blog/images/new_vice.jpg

My last bit of advice is to keep a first aid kit handy. I have been carving for two years and I still cut myself up good. Just a few weeks ago I cut my thumb so bad it left a nice scar.

I hope you enjoy carving as much as I do,
Silence

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