"Sonny" wrote in message
...
One sample may have been sawn with a course toothed saw and the other
sawn with a fine toothed saw.

Check this site and see other examples, hope this helps:
http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/person...s/basswood.htm

I'm not familiar with basswood, at all.
Sonny

When I drill a hole in it ,the hole looks just like that end grain, in the
smoother ended piece, the hole is also nice and smooth. For whatever reason,
it's the difference in the grain in those two pieces.

Paul