James, Some of our friends south of the border are drowning in specialty woods, not like the hardwood-deprived prairies that we're accustomed to. Conversely, I've been hunting for some good basswood ever since Christmas to try out my chip-carving knives the LOML gave me for Christmas…and I haven't seen any worth buying yet locally in Manitoba. There are NO significant native hardwoods here, except for some urban harvests that are hard to get your hands on. Those lucky enough to get consistent good deals have no idea what it's like when, for example, if I needed 1000 BF of FAS Red Oak, I'd have to travel at least 500 miles south or east with a trailer to get it.
No Typo there, woods just more expensive in Western Canada.
The wood here in Alberta for basswood goes at about $9.00 a board foot from suppliers, and they only supply it at maximum 4 inches thick (The maximum amount they can Kiln dry). In the rare case when something comes in at greater then 4 inches the price frequently goes up by 50%. Black Walnut can sell for as much as $12.40 a board foot for just 4 inches thick (And thats for Kiln dried wood thats a bit harder to carve). I have had long lines of people buying my 8"x8"x16" basswood, butternut, and Black Walnut blocks at $7.40 a board foot here in Calgary. Have a number of custom block sizes back ordered already.
Good carving wood on the prairies is hard to come by! We envy you American's that can get wood so cheaply!
I can send you a block of 8"x8"x20" for about $60 (that $60 dollar number includes shipping to your Manitoba and the cost of the wood). I could give you either basswood, butternut, or black walnut. There would be no junior wood or heartwood on the piece. The fellow that I apprentice to said that the wood from my supplier is the best basswood that he has ever used in his 45 year career as a full-time woodcarver.
Feel free to give me an email at my email: james.dukeshire@shaw.ca or give me a call on my cell: 403-400-3275
Hi James! My first instinct was to defend a fellow Canadian woodworker; what looks like a good deal to us is probably not such an attractive deal to those south of the border. Myself, I've never tried full-relief carving but I'd be interested in perhaps 1" X 8" basswood for chipcarving appliques to be incorporated in gift boxes, jewelry boxes, and furniture details. I'm not quite prepared to say at this point how much I'd need, these are for projects quite a bit down the road. I'll spread the word about your offerings, and the artisan retreat course as well. Good Luck!
Do you still have a supply of Basswood? I am in Calgary and looking to buy basswood for carving.
John
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