It has dark brown heartwood and a beige sap wood. Butternut has a beautiful grain pattern, which looks good with a clear finish. It is softwood with a straight grain. Indians would use Cottonwood roots for carving dolls. It may be difficult to get in some areas.
Walnut has dark brown heartwood with tan sapwood.
It is straight grained but can be very curly. Carving on walnut is usually done with a chisel and mallet. It has a relatively straight grain. It is a suprisingly strong for its light weight. It is well suited for carvings that have thin sections.