As soon as I opened the pack of shims, I recognized the particular scent. I took a closer look at the package and noted that the manufacturer celebrated this wood as superior to the spruce, pine, cedar, or plastic used by other producers. So what wood is it? They call it “Beddar Wood” and have that trademarked.

These shims are made in Minnesota by Nelson Wood Shims. For some reason, Nelson states what species their shims aren’t but doesn’t reveal what they are. A marketing choice I guess. A few cuts with my knife confirmed what my nose told me. It seems to me that Beddar Wood is basswood (Tilia americana), and that’s good. A pack of 42 12″ shims is only 7 bucks (about 16 cents per shim) and available at just about every home center and hardware store. They make them in several other lengths and configurations.

With their acute taper, shims like these, whatever the wood species, can serve in many ways in the workshop:

• Steady a wobbly bench or work table
• Level a chair or bench in preparation for trimming the legs
• Keep a workpiece from rocking on the benchtop
• Clamp workpieces using a peg-and-wedge system
• Sacrificial pieces between a workpiece and clamps
• Glue spreaders
• Stir paint or finish
• Sample boards for paint color

And, especially because these are basswood, carvers may find them useful for practice or testing out new patterns. You could trace your latest spoon handle onto the shim and experiment with some carved decoration. I could even see these being used for carving butter spreaders, an exercise often used to teach about grain direction and carving techniques. I think they could be great for kids, or adults, to carve little figures. Just stick to the thicker end of the shim or you’ll quickly have a pierced carving.