Reply by Purrmaster

I think pine is a perfectly fine wood to start with. Pine is a lot softer than hardwood but it’s not crepe paper. Sharp tools can usually cope with the knots.

As far as starter hardwoods, I too suggest poplar. It’s probably the cheapest of the hardwoods. It’s also not so terribly hard that it will be impossible to shape.

Cherry and walnut are nice but they cost a lot more and you won’t feel free to screw things up (i.e. learn) on such expensive wood.

Don’t get poplar at Home Depot though. It costs an arm and a leg there.