Bird number: 100
Date: September 13, 2012
Wood: Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra)
Source: Carver in Ohio

Somebody else had given me a piece of Buckeye, but it was a freshly cut limb, and a bit on the small side. I was letting it dry a bit in the garage before cutting it into bird-sized blocks. But then this piece arrived, already dry and just the right size for a bird.

“Buckeye” is a term of endearment for the original settlers of the Ohio frontier. The Buckeye is the state tree of Ohio. So the Ohio State mascot is either a tree or a pioneer.

The Buckeye wood is light, relatively soft, and not very strong. It’s not an important timber tree. It’s in the same class as Aspen or Cottonwood. It’s used for furniture, utility wood, boxes and crates, and pulpwood. Due to its softness, it’s also a somewhat popular carving wood. You’ll also find many turned objects from Buckeye.

Buckeye is a fairly bland wood: not much in the way of grain. There are, however, interesting colorations throughout, as you can see in the second (somewhat blurry) picture.

The wood is soft enough that it should carve very well with a sharp knife. I think I’ll try that with the other limb I have. We’ll see.