Dad wants some recommendations on wood he can carve easier but would still be durable. He says walnuts a bugger.
Basswood is the carvers go to wood. It has a nice clear grain and pretty easy to work. Butternut is good too. Cherry and maple are a little more durable.
Hey Griz. Kind of late to the party, but fishingpole is spot on, basswood is great! Did a shorebird a couple years ago out of butternut, also good to work with. Tupelo is great too. Pine, cedar and poplar/aspen work fine as well. Cherry, walnut, mahogany and maple are fine if you use power tools to shape. If you rely on knives and gouges they can be a headache. I'm doing a commissioned duck decoy, at the moment, out of elm - DO NOT use elm!! Customer wanted it off a tree from his property and I've dulled chainsaw, saw-zall and knife blades just getting it shaped. How's he doing anyway? Remember seeing some pics from a post a while back.
I was a member of the North Iowa carvers guild and Basswood is the wood of choice. You can get a wood hardener if he wants more durability.
Dear husband has a friend that won the national ammature decoy carving years ago. It was a Loon. He taught my husband some things and Basswood was top of the list. I am not sure about durability though, I baby the hand carved decoys...
