Mopane: Cocus Substitute, or Furniture Wood?

[Jon C.]

Certainly Cocobolo should be approached with caution. Some people have had severe reactions to contact with the sawdust and oils.
However, the matter is never so simple as it might appear with woods we identify with common names.
I have worked cocobolo and found it a marvelous turning wood. I also have made several simple flutes from it and can say it had marvelous tonewood characteristics. I was further very fortunate in that I had no negative reaction to the dust or oils.
However Wikipedia tells me that the generally accepted 'cocobolo' wood is from Dalbergia Retusa. But it further says there are three additional closely related Dalbergias that yield 'Cocobolo', but does not name them.

All this may explain,( or may not!), why some are affected by contact with 'cocobolo',and some not. My takeaway is that without intimate knowledge of the provenance of the wood you are working 'cocobolo' should be approached very cautiously.

Bob

Well good luck with it, I loved the wood until I blew up like a puff fish! Might be the case on the different woods, I know the Mexican Cocobolo is pretty bad, but I did see some other varieties for sale from other south American countries. A dealer for the wood told me that the turner that uses the wood for bagpipes, dons a tyvak suit and after the turning, does a whole decontamination process afterward. It is so profitable for him, he is willing to go through that. It is a lovely looking wood and a good tone wood.

[Jon C.]

The listing is for Nicaraguan Cocobolo, Panama Cocobolo, but the seller gives it as the same name Dalbergia retusa. But maybe the other varieties are less toxic?
http://www.gilmerwood.com/turn_squares_coco_unique.htm

[an seanduine]

Jon C. said

But maybe the other varieties are less toxic?

. That question seems to be the essence of the problem. A lotta years ago I made several simple cylindrical flutes in 'G' for myself and several friends. Neither I nor my friends had any untoward reaction. Then shortly after that I was horrified to learn of the possibility of toxic or allergic responses to 'Cocobolo'. I let my friends know of the possibility of a reaction, but neither I nor they have had one in the intervening years.
A case of of mis-identified wood? maybe. . .but it sure looks a lot like the exemplars of 'Cocobolo' I have seen. Different levels of active oils in woods from different regions? Maybe. I know some of the tropical hardwoods have 'male' and 'female' trees with slightly different characteristics, but I don't know enough of the botany of Dalbergias to say this is the case. Short of being there when the living tree is cut, or getting a positive ID from a micrscopic examination, how would you know? I still remain extremely cautious in any approach to using 'Cocobolo'.

Bob

[tin tin]

My flute (seen to the left ) is made from mopane. It's a Copley & Boegli, and I once spent some time comparing it with a blackwood Copley. The embouchure cuts were a bit different, which probably negates anything I'll write next, but... My mopane flute seems inclined toward a fat, warm tone, while the blackwood was a bit brighter. Other makes of blackwood flutes also seem a bit brighter by nature, but I don't know whether it's a function of design or material.

Here's Martin Doyle's take on the tonal properties of various woods: http://www.martindoyleflutes.com/woods.html

[jim stone]

I have the same impression from playing mopane vs. blackwood.
FWIW

[Sigurthr]

I have yet to have a reaction from cocobolo, and with ocarinas you literally have the wood in your mouth, drool into it, and suck it back into your mouth.

Perhaps it is a different cultivar or variety or subspecies that is causing the problems reported. I only know that which I have tried; Hind Ocarinas and KDJ Flutes both make instruments with Cocobolo that appear by all reports to be non-toxic. The custom fife I had made of cocobolo by Fontana Studios does appear to be different at least to some extent, it smells and feels different, but so far no reaction at all. I will keep my eye out though.