Basswood Egg expectations?

[Berg]

I just ordered some basswood eggs for the first time and I want to see if my expectations are too high/incorrect.

When they arrived I noticed two things:

-- Some of them have very small flat spots near the top and one has a bit of a flat spot on the one side. Is this normal? For my use I don't think this will matter but I was a little surprised.

-- All of them have the bottoms flattened so they sit without a base/egg holder. I'm not sure this bothers me but I didn't expect this as it was not mentioned in the description. Is it assumed that wood eggs have flat bottoms unless it specifically says otherwise?

These were ordered from a reputable vendor, I mostly want to know what the expectations are for these -- I am not trying to attack any vendors.

Thanks,

B~

[joepaulbutler]

I find the flat bottoms a plus, as far as the other concerns, they should be manageable. I'm sure these might be mass turned/produced, so to expect some defect is to be expected.

[Eddy-Smiles]

I'm with Joe.... The flat bottoms seem to come in handy more than the oval ones. As for production faults I'd have to say unless you visit a brick and mortar store and hand pick the eggs yourself that you're going to get some that are imperfect. I've done quite a bit of egg carving and have made multiple orders from multiple sources. The only time that I've never received an imperfect Chicken or Goose egg was when I picked them out myself at the Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers Store in Townsend, Tennessee. That's not to say that the box to select from didn't contain any imperfect eggs, only that I just selected the ones that looked the best. However, the solution to the problem is to work the imperfection into the design of your project.

[pallin]

I assume you are chip carvjng the basswood eggs. The carved egg could be supported on the thin rod or wire.

egg1.jpg

[joepaulbutler]

Phil, they are also great for doing relief carving

[Berg]

Thanks everyone!

I wasn't trying to complain I just wanted to get a better understanding of expectations! Seems like these are in line with what is normal.

B~

[4ever3]

I also would like some guidance. I am wanting to try my hand at carving eggs. Just want to know what is the norm. I understand they are NOT all going to be “perfect” or without blemishes, but want to know the tolerances somewhat. I have seen a large price different from vendor to vendor per egg.

[Dark Lightning]

I'd expect that the higher the price, the better the egg, but these days quality has been pretty bad. I volunteered as a Scout leader for 15+ years and bought various items to make awards out of. I never saw an egg (for instance) that wasn't egg-shaped. I've not been a leader since '05, due to work requirements, so things have obviously changed for the worse.