Carving american chestnut?

You’ll adapt your carving methods to whatever you’re working with.
The chestnut is probably too stringy to be a pleasant and easy wood
to carve, but you’ll adapt.

I’ve never worked with it and don’t like carving much so I’m not
your best advice. There is good carving done in many, many species.

I haven’t carved chestnut yet, but I have pecan and walnut, and butternut. Yes,the fibers are a pain for high detail work. I love carving… but if you see something in the log go for it. We carvers change methods for each wood anyway.. let the material guide the process, but not let it over power the goal. I currently am drying four 3ft logs about 13-14” dia of elm.. can’t use em for the next two years…but they are mine!!! :) for yours though i’d get them waxed and sealed or cut them up before you get interior checking. What kind of figure carving are you thinking?

-- ~ Eric P Jorgenson: Jorgenson Design

I was thinking of carving some caryatids, thought it would be cool to build workbench legs that have more form then function while still being highly functional. I’ve wanted to do some kind of carving for quite some time and I’m looking for an excuse to try it.

-- --Rev. Russ in NY-- A posse ad esse

how can you go wrong?