Elder and Hemlock Drone Reeds

[Lorenzo]

I compared the tone of elder, hemlock, and cane drone reeds. Subtle differences in tone. I like the Water Hemlock drone reeds. The more I read up on dried hemlock, the less worried I am.

• "Like many other poisonous plants, when cut and dried, Hemlock loses much of its poisonous properties, which are volatile and easily dissipated. Cooking destroys it."
  http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/h/hemloc18.html

[ennischanter]

Cool! It's really fascinating what variety of materials can be used.



I think hemlock grows around here. Should I wear gloves while harvesting it? Could a chanter reed be made out of it?


Next, let's try Monkshood!

[Lorenzo]

I think hemlock grows around here. Should I wear gloves while harvesting it? Could a chanter reed be made out of it?

Hemlock doesn't work for chanter reeds. I tried it yesterday with a copper rolled staple for a C chanter, but when it got down to the scrape, it was too stringy, with dark threads still being uncovered as I got down to the finish. On top of that, it's too hard, kind of like cane that's too hard for uilleann pipes--if you know what I mean. Pretty soon you've got the lips too thin and it's just barely beginning to squawk.

I made a lot of dust trying though, and at times forgot to wash my mouth out, so I'd say the dry dead stuff has lost it's poisonous properties. The danger and greatest concentration is in the root. Avoid fresh green branches, anything that remotely seems alive, or even potentially so. I do like hemlock for drones though. Make sure the dead twigs have reddish colored bark still (not tan) and don't collapse when you pinch them really hard.

[Hans-Joerg]

When we were children (sigh), we cut hemlock for peashooters (and used sorbus-berries - "birds´berries" -
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vogelbeere
for "amunition"). We used these all afternoon and never even got sick!
I wouldn´t cut lots without work-gloves though.