What wood to use for a butter press carving?

[Jonathan Jung]

What wood would be easy to carve for a beginner and yet suitable for a butter press? My wife wants to hand carve a 4 x 4 block for some friends which I'll make into a butter press.

They have several A2-A2 Jersey cows and their butter is delicious.

[Frank Pratt]

Bass wood is very even grained and good for carving.

[John Kananis]

Interesting thread... so much as my wife just asked me to make for her a butter press. I was going to use maple (haven't designed it yet as she just asked 2 nights ago) but, for a beginner, that's not the greatest material to carve. Bass wood is probably the easiest to carve but it's also pretty soft. Maybe butternut? Not sure if it's safe to use but it's a little harder and not so difficult to carve. Regardless, for a small carving like that, just use what (wood) you'd like and take your time looking at the grain (making small cuts) as you carve. If you make a mistake, how much martial did you really waste? And you have more experience after the fact. Following along, gl.

[John C Bush]

Hi Jonathan,
Tried to send PM-not sure it was sent-
I have my (great?) grandmothers for real butter press and wooden spatula from the Indiana farm. Spatula is definetly maple and the press likely as well. Could be poplar???
Let me know if you want pics. BTW-I live in Edmonds. Enjoy your posts-are you a professional WWer or enthusiastic hobbiest.Thanks John

[Robert LaPlaca]

Probably the most commonly used woods for kitchen utensils are Maple, Cherry and European Beech. For a beginner carver, either Cherry or European Beech would be more carving friendly, although if you could find soft Maple in your location it would also carve well.

[Terence McGee]

Basswood, beech, maple, and cherry

[David Carroll]

I also like birch for kitchen tools, hard to carve like maple, but works fine otherwise.

DC