White pine is 380. One thing to keep in mind with these ratings is that all trees are unique, grow at different rates, have different amounts of sunshine and grow in different locations. These numbers will vary from one tree to the next. This is a general rating!
White pine has a more prominent grain that is fairly straight. When carving white pine you'll notice that the grain has more texture than basswood. Basswood grain is smooth and silky whereas white pine gives you a bit more to deal with.
I don't think white pine is readily available in the big box home centers. Most of the workers won't know so don't waste your time asking anyone for help. All pine are not the same!
You'll want to visit a lumber mill if you're interested in buying large quantities of this nice wood. You can see from the picture above that it carves well for our purposes. The cost at the mill should be reasonable and close to basswood.
