Killing the rainforest with our pipes

[billh]

...

If woods commonly used for Uilleann Pipes construction become endangered enough to go onto CITES (Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species) appendices, we could all suffer dramatically.

CITES Appendix I listed species are monitored by customs and cannot easily be moved across international borders. This even applies when the wood has been made into a set of pipes.

David

This depends somewhat on the policy for the species in question. I am pretty sure there have been some Appendix I woods in the past which were fine once made into manufactured items, its only in log form that one runs into issues (lignum vitae for instance, IIRC). This depends of course on the timber, origin, etc.

Blackwood is unlikely to fall into this category because the species itself is not so threatened, as I said it's relatively common as a scrub plant.

Guitar makers have had to deal with this for some mahogany species already, and I think Koa is in Appendix III now, not sure without checking my lists. Brazilian Rosewood is in Appendix I already.

Bill

[Mypipes]

Well, regardles of the arguments to & fro, we can be in no doubt from whence the problem originated in the first place!
George W. Bush
Yes, the same man who invented the class 5 hurricane.







have a guiness

Dont forget about Global Warming? As a matter of fact every time my reed goes out of wack...I say " Dam that Bush!!!

[David Lim]

Guitar makers have had to deal with this for some mahogany species already, and I think Koa is in Appendix III now, not sure without checking my lists. Brazilian Rosewood is in Appendix I already.

Bill

Yes, the guitar making field has worked with these issues for sometime now. The result has been a vast expansion in the available woods for backs and sides. The loss of perhaps the "best" guitar wood (Brazilian Rosewood) has yielded a much wider and far more exciting range in terms of appearance and tone colour. Although it must be admitted that most of these are still tropical hardwoods, but I think lessons have been learned from what has happened to Brazilian Rosewood.

Swientenia macrophylla, mahogany, has recently moved from Appendix III to II. It is now as expensive as East Indian Rosewood to buy when it was once seen as a cheaper option.

There have been reports over the years of Brazilain Rosewood guitars being impounded in customs until it can be shown the guitar was built of wood cut down before its CITES Appendix I listing. It could be that Brazilain Rosewood is simple to identify on a guitar and is therefore an easy target for customs officers. You can still buy Brazilain Rosewood for guitars in the UK and from official sources it comes with a certificate to be passed to the owner of the guitar after construction.

In the UK, many years ago, the Crafts Council funded research into alternative guitar woods. Is there an equivilent Irish body that could be tempted to do this for Uilleann Pipes?

Uillmann, my experience with hornbeam is as the standard wood used in Klemsia Cam Clamps. One of the reasons it is chosen is for it's non splitting properties.

David

[billh]

In the UK, many years ago, the Crafts Council funded research into alternative guitar woods. Is there an equivilent Irish body that could be tempted to do this for Uilleann Pipes?
David

There are a couple of things that are different about uilleann pipes. For one thing, pipes are already being made out of almost every imaginable wood. There is little if any consensus about what wood(s) are best, and the wood that is arguably the most common for 'premium' sets, African Blackwood, is actually a fairly recently introduced species. Although there are isolated reports of dalbergia melanoxylon being used in the 19th century, it was Leo Rowsome who seems to have been the first to commonly use it, as an ebony substitute. Some makers say it makes no difference. Several claim that ebony is the clear winner for tone - and there are at around 17 species of ebony that are candidates, so it may be awhile before CITES comes into play there - availability may become the bigger problem.

Because uilleann/union pipes (and the sound desired of them) are so poorly standardized, I think it would be very difficult to get consensus on the outcome of any such experiments. Still, an interesting idea, and if funding were available to encourage careful, documentable work, it might finally be attractive for someone to do carefully controlled empirical experiments regarding the effect of material.

Bill

[David Lim]

The Guitar Wood research was detailed and exacting.

One lucky maker was sent to South America to search out alternative woods that had not reached UK markets. Several species were selected and wood was brought back to the UK.

The maker (Paul Fischer) then made a series of guitars (classical) as identical as possible apart from the backs and sides. One guitar was built from Brazilian Rosewood.

When the instruments were finished they were blind tested. A panel listened to them without seeing them and rated them for tone etc.

Brazilian Rosewood did not come out the best for sound also some of the alternative wood were unattractive to look at. The results have not noticably changed views that Brazilian Rosewood is the best. Perhaps the piping community would be more receptive given that a range of woods are currently being used.

There must some pipe maker who fancies 6 months/a year doing a service to the piping community and having a great time too. This is funding dependent of course.

David

[simonknight]

Unfortunately, NPU is struggling to maintain even its current level of funding. It's hard to see money being available for this purpose.

Some makers are producing chanters of similar design in differenet woods. Perhaps it's possible to get a few players with comparable designs and different materials together to informally make an assesment. However it may prove tough to do with any certainty - other variations in manufacture, wood density, reeds etc may make comparison difficult.

Quite honestly, if I had funding available, from an environmental perspective, there's other places I spend the money. Clearly this is a defensive issue for UP players. The proportion of blackwood actually used for UPs vs GHP vs clarinets is pretty small. I'd be wiling to pay a few $s more for a new set to ensure fair trade with producers, but there are much greater trade, agricultural, education and local leadership issues to fix in Africa. Throwing money at these problems may make people feel better but it hasn't often proved successful.

[Cynth]

This particular page of the website posted by David Lim is interesting.
http://www.globaltrees.org/proj.asp?id=46
It discusses wind instruments in detail. One interesting distinction it makes is between GHB, mouthblown, and Northumbrian pipes, bellows blown. Woods used for Northumbrian pipes don't need the naturally oily wood which is needed for mouth blown pipes. They list woods (one of which---cocuswood--I had gotten the impression had become economically extinct from another website) that have been successfully used for Northumbrian pipes. Also interesting is that bassoons, which would logically be made from African Blackwood just as are oboes, are simply too heavy if made from AB and so some species of maple or sycamore are used.

My feeling is that probably UP are not a big part of the problem. But it seems like it is still a problem for me if the instruments for which there is really no good substitute for AB, such as clarinets and oboes and others I'm sure, would not be able to be made or would become prohibitively expensive---an excellent oboe is about $10,000 right now I believe. I don't consider excellent musical instruments a luxury, like say a mahogany dresser. They are a necessity. I listen to all sorts of music and I want any musician to be able to have what he needs just for the sake of having a rich culture. And I think the fact that they are considered by many to be a necessity is encouraging the research they are doing on sustainable harvesting and replanting and figuring out what woods have all the qualities that particular intruments need. I hope so anyway.

[billh]

I think it's unlikely that we'll be impacted the way guitar makers were, even if dalbergia melanoxylon becomes CITES listed - because for pipes, ebony is a long-proven alternative.

Have a look at this list of diospyros subspecies of commercial importance:
http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/So ... pyros.html

The species mostly fall into three categories: species that are nearly black, which are supplied more-or-less interchangeably for most purposes that use "ebony", species that have brown stripes and are prized timber as well, and various "persimmon" species. The persimmon species seem to have less heartwood, but are still prized for furniture in Asia. I've been interested in trying American Persimmon wood for pipes, but what little timber reaches the marketplace seems to go into making old-fashioned golf 'woods' (for which it is the traditional material). The fruit persimmons seem less dense, have higher shrinkage rates, and in general might not be such nice instrument woods, but there are lots of Diospyros species around still.

I think that rather than wait until a species we depend on is CITES-listed, it makes more conservation sense to identify more sustainable practices and work to ensure that a larger fraction of the suitable blackwood and ebony become available for instrument manufacture rather than fuelwood. Restricting trade in such species, in areas where they are used as fuel by the local population, can have the opposite result, whereas good forestry and resource management practices can mean that high-value timber activities like pipemaking actually improve the chances of survival for indigenous forests.

Also, the title of this thread is a misnomer since African Blackwood is a savannah tree, not a rainforest wood. The ebonies are I believe closer to what one thinks of as a 'rainforest' wood, and the other dalbergia species grow in a range of climates.

regards

Bill

[David Lim]

Given that SoundWood's statements include this:

SoundWood recognises that instrument manufacturers are not responsible for the wholesale destruction of the world’s forests, nor does it advocate bans or boycotts or total substitution of timber use with synthetic materials. It is concerned with the preservation of the wonderful tonewoods that in the hands of skilled makers can be fabricated into fine musical instruments. It is also aware of the positive influence of responsible consumer choice in effecting change that supports sustainable natural resource use.

Perhaps a positive move for concerned individuals would be to make a donation to the organisation. And also to encourage our Uilleann pipemakers to join the SoundWood list of Instrument Makers.

Click here for SoundWood Makers List

Currently there are no UP makers on the list.

David

[billh]

Given that SoundWood's statements include this:

SoundWood recognises that instrument manufacturers are not responsible for the wholesale destruction of the world’s forests, nor does it advocate bans or boycotts or total substitution of timber use with synthetic materials. It is concerned with the preservation of the wonderful tonewoods that in the hands of skilled makers can be fabricated into fine musical instruments. It is also aware of the positive influence of responsible consumer choice in effecting change that supports sustainable natural resource use.

Perhaps a positive move for concerned individuals would be to make a donation to the organisation. And also to encourage our Uilleann pipemakers to join the SoundWood list of Instrument Makers.

Click here for SoundWood Makers List

Currently there are no UP makers on the list.

David

Hi David:

There aren't many small craftspeople on the list, period. While I think donations to SoundWoods is a positive step, it's not clear to me what "joining the SoundWood list of Instrument Makers" actually means for maker, consumer, or SoundWood, given that IFSC-certified ebony and blackwood don't seem to be available. From reading the SoundWood statement it's clear that inclusion in the list doesn't assert anything in particular about the makers' practices, other than the fact that makers in the list " ... are taking other significant steps towards lessening their impact on the environment."

I'll have a look at the questionnaire they give to potentially listed makers and see what it includes, in a concrete form.

But frankly it's not clear to me that the activities of uilleann pipemakers are having a negative impact on the species in question in the first place. As has been mentioned before, for some of these species, the existance of a high-value, small-volume market like uilleann pipemaking can be a positive influence on the species' and rainforest's survival, rather than a negative influence.

I do note that Ormiston Flutes says "Since the 1980’s they have been buying direct from a sawmill in Tanzania who are involved in a planting programme.", which definitely has the potential to be an improvement over buying from middle-merchants. Perhaps SoundWoods would be able to put makers in more direct touch with suppliers who were using more sustainable logging practices - I suspect this is the only clearly positive move that uilleann pipe makers could make in this regard.

Bill

[John S]

I've found out that Blackwood matures at about 100 years so sustainability is certainly practical.

John S

[Hans-Joerg]

Perhaps thinking about indigenous (not sure of spelling) woods such as holly for making pipes.
There must be other woods that are suitable and not endangered (or toxic)
that are native to our countries.

What other local woods could be used?
Mentioned in this thread also was maple (possibly called over here after its growing-place the denser mountain maple). Common are Boxwood and fruitwoods (especially Plumwood).

Hans

[David Lim]

Hi David:

There aren't many small craftspeople on the list, period. While I think donations to SoundWoods is a positive step, it's not clear to me what "joining the SoundWood list of Instrument Makers" actually means for maker, consumer, or SoundWood, given that IFSC-certified ebony and blackwood don't seem to be available. Bill

Hi Bill,

There are some individual or small crafts people especially in the woodwind section of the list.

My interpretation of what joining the list means (from the questionaire) is that the maker is aware of environmental issues and making some small effort to offer non-tropical hards wood options or seeking woods certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or whatever, but your right it's a bit "hazy".

The list does appear to lack definition in terms of who is allowed on. I know a couple of those on it and their justification is "loose" lets say. I would suspect some of the larger manufacturers are there for marketing reasons.

The SoundWoods set up seems to be one of gentle encouragement and raising awareness rather than hard campaigning. I think given the sensitivty of musicians and instrument makers to their instruments this is the right approach.

But frankly it's not clear to me that the activities of uilleann pipemakers are having a negative impact on the species in question in the first place

But is that solely due to our relatively small numbers?
Maybe Uilleann pipemaking even has a positive effect but, (and this is the ageing hippy coming out) all users of tropical hardwoods should have at least some awareness of the effect of the instrument making industry in general. It may take 50 years but I think UP players and makers will be affected by wood shortages.

Perhaps SoundWoods would be able to put makers in more direct touch with suppliers who were using more sustainable logging practices - I suspect this is the only clearly positive move that uilleann pipe makers could make in this regard.

Yes, that would be good, if SoundWoods cannot do that then they are failing their remit somewhere. Also the use of a 95% ground AB composite by Buffet to build clarinets is interesting. These reportedly have the same tonal qualities as solid wood and allow the use of 90% of the AB tree as opposed to 10% for solid wood.

I am starting to sound a bit evengelical here but the Global Trees Campaign and the SoundWoods project in particular has objectives we would all, as musicians, wish to see achieved. It's the only international conservation organisation working positively in our back yard, so to speak. I'm prepared to support them and their objectives.

David

[billh]

Hi Bill,

There are some individual or small crafts people especially in the woodwind section of the list.

Two, if I counted correctly.

But frankly it's not clear to me that the activities of uilleann pipemakers are having a negative impact on the species in question in the first place

But is that solely due to our relatively small numbers?

Numbers are important because that's a key part of the "sustainability" equation. It's not necessarily the case that small volume users are just scaled-down offenders; small volume consumers have a better chance of sustainable use of any resource.

But it's more complex than that - much more so, where the global economics, biology, and global climate concerns are all accounted for. Some uses of resources can contribute to conservation, whereas others fuel excess exploitation, and it can be very hard to figure out which activities are positive and which are negative.

Your posts on this topic rekindled my interest in the latest conservation studies, and the data is very muddy indeed, as to what the best course of conservation action really is.

Maybe Uilleann pipemaking even has a positive effect

there are plausible arguments in this direction, but it's unproven.

but, (and this is the ageing hippy coming out) all users of tropical hardwoods should have at least some awareness of the effect of the instrument making industry in general. It may take 50 years but I think UP players and makers will be affected by wood shortages.

That's for sure (about wood shortages), but the idea that instrument making is a large contributor to those shortages is not tenable except for a couple of very exceptional cases. Those cases would include Pernambuco, probably, and Brazilian Rosewood... and possibly African Blackwood. While AB is currently being used for uilleann pipes, I think a switch to ebony would not meet with much resistance. Sadly, ebonies are threatened too, but mostly not by musicai instrument makers!

There's also the consideration of the volume of mass-production versus hand-crafting - maybe it's a selfish viewpoint, but I have a lot less trouble with hand-crafted guitars, pipes, and oboes using Brazilian Rosewood and African Blackwood than with multi-thousand factory instruments. If a resource is a scarce and precious commodity, then it makes sense to "reserve" it for uses where its special qualities will be most appreciated and cherished.

[edited to add] For this reason I don't think it makes sense to use true Mahogany for bellows paddles nowadays, or for solid-body electric guitars, where the appeal seems mostly visual and the material requirements are proportionally large. Veneers would do the job nearly as well. [end edit]

In other words, fewer salad spoons and coasters! And fewer solid Rosewood desks, I might add.

Perhaps SoundWoods would be able to put makers in more direct touch with suppliers who were using more sustainable logging practices - I suspect this is the only clearly positive move that uilleann pipe makers could make in this regard.

Yes, that would be good, if SoundWoods cannot do that then they are failing their remit somewhere.

One problem is that the material just may not be available sustainably. It takes a long time to establish sustainable yield exotics, perhaps 50 to 100 years to harvest. That suggests that the best we can do at the moment is buy at a premium price from selective loggers who are also planting at a many-to-one ratio when they harvest. It also requires political will and political stability, two things scarce in some of the regions of origin.

Also the use of a 95% ground AB composite by Buffet to build clarinets is interesting. These reportedly have the same tonal qualities as solid wood and allow the use of 90% of the AB tree as opposed to 10% for solid wood.

Well, I don't use African Blackwood at all, partly because of scarcity and sustainability issues, but possibly more so because I don't think it is the best wood for uilleann pipes. I have done a number of experiments with timbers other than Ebony (other than diospyros sp. that is) and have by-and-large been disappointed, especially with native European timbers with the exception of boxwood. I've had good results with a couple of other exotics, but they aren't any better (and in some cases are worse) than ebony and AB from a sustainability viewpoint.

Boxwood of western european origin in sufficient size is well-nigh unobtainable. The turkish boxwood currently available is good in that it's not a threatened species, but one still wonders where these big boxwood trees are coming from... I doubt very seriously that they are being replanted in a 100-year rotation. I've planted one myself, but it won't be ready for harvest until the 22nd century

I am starting to sound a bit evengelical here but the Global Trees Campaign and the SoundWoods project in particular has objectives we would all, as musicians, wish to see achieved. It's the only international conservation organisation working positively in our back yard, so to speak. I'm prepared to support them and their objectives.

David

[David Lim]

That's for sure (about wood shortages), but the idea that instrument making is a large contributor to those shortages is not tenable except for a couple of very exceptional cases. Those cases would include Pernambuco, probably, and Brazilian Rosewood... and possibly African Blackwood. While AB is currently being used for uilleann pipes, I think a switch to ebony would not meet with much resistance. Sadly, ebonies are threatened too, but mostly not by musicai instrument makers!

I suppose it comes down to that old question: Even if we are not part of the problem, how actively should we be part of the solution?

Maybe things like: not crossing the idea of a plumwood/boxwood/maple/etc chanter off your list, donating to SoundWoods, planting a tree, sourcing certified wood (if it exists), are some options.

It's alway up to individuals but I'd like to hope we are making increasingly informed decisions.

David