Sabal Carver CFL - Why is the wood so much harder than when I carved 5 years ago?

Here is my best work, not traditional tiki per se but I enjoy doing those as well.

I have an electric chainsaw, grinder, air chisel, but my main tools of choice were sharp chisels.

But the trees in my yard that I'm going to use to carve when I take a chisel to them, they aren't hand cartable? Should I put water on the wood would that do anything? I want to be able to carve with minimal effort like I did with this joker one

Is every tree different or can you alter the hardness of sabal?

Also I just bought a brand new stihl climbing saw but i want to get a carving bar, anybody know where to look for one?

Thanks,

Jacques

Let the games begin!

OK, i'll bite.

You're right, it's not traditional tiki at all. It's not even a modern version of a tiki. It looks like the Joker from Batman which certainly does not belong on a forum about Tiki.

Regardless that you say this is your best work you also said you do enjoy carving tiki's as well. Why didn't you post a photo of one of those?

I haven't noticed wood getting harder lately &
palm is as soft as it gets. Even hard wood is not
so hard to a sharp chisel. Maybe you need some
guidance.
Where are you?
Showing us some Tiki would please the natives.

I find my wood getting softer:(

Some of my wood is from the petrified forest, some lay there like a log...

this thread just keeps getting more and more weird...

Ya, Some wood is hard and some peeps just Want hard wood.
Actually there are a few different varieties of Sable or Cabbage palm and some of those are harder than others. Also the different seasons of the year can produce varied wood hardness. Trees usually store most of their sap or liquids deep in the ground in the roots during the winter which does make the wood harder but it isn't something that works like clockwork. Also it doesn't mean because one tree is harder than normal that all the rest will be harder too. Each one will be different and I think you will find the harder palms will take much finer detail anyway so just enjoy it as much as you can.