People interested in blackwood issues may be interested in this site:
http://www.blackwoodconservation.org/
Currently blackwood is much easier than mopane to get, due to a long standing commerce in it for woodwinds primarily, several mills cutting it, etc.. Some of the stuff available to me has been air drying for 40-50 years - in this case, reject wood that was stored but not discarded by some of the French clarinet makers. They used to use it for firing their boilers. Other stuff is fairly fresh from the log.
I think that an indigenous use for blackwood or Mopane such as fenceposts, etc. is perfectly fine and legitimate and appropriate. It is arrogant to think it should be saved for our flutes or some other non-African purpose. Mopane is sort of the African equivalent of Black Locust, a useful wood used similarly here (or at least it used to be). These woods have served these purposes for centuries if not millenia. Mopane is the best African firewood and it burns like coal. I save reject pieces for my woodstove and can attest to this! Same with blackwood.
It would be great if our local woods could supply our needs and perhaps they will when the African woods become unavailable and customers stop expecting just blackwood. Usually such woods are greeted with hesitation. I experienced this and still experience this with Mopane. I've worked hard to promote it as a good alternative. Terry and the other Australian makers have done a fine job at promoting their woods such as Cooktown Ironwood. The Spanish use local boxwood for their pipes.
Alas Mopane! According to one informant, China also discovered it and has been buying it up to the point that a few countries have imposed severe export quotas. Apparently they ran out of jade and needed something to keep factories full of jade carvers at work. This explains why my primary wood supplier in Portland who sells to many of the American makers has been unable to get any. On the other hand he is swimming in blackwood, has cocus, a big pile of Turkish boxwood, and several other flute-appropriate species. But no Mopane to speak of hough at least 3 mills have repeatedly made promises to send him some for the last 4-5 years, but never coming through.
Here in the wet side of the Pacific NW we aren't as blessed with such woods. Everything is too lightweight, punky, porous and in some cases rare to use in woodwinds. However, there are some woods in the vicinity. Olive and Pistacio from northern California orchards, Mountain Mahogany, a boxwood like wood from the SE Oregon high country, and Desert Ironwood from the Sonoran Desert. I have worked with all and all make fine flutes. Black Locust from SE Washington even has possibilities. Eventually I hope to make flutes in these woods again but currently its a matter of finding some available, in lieu of going out with my own chainsaw.
Casey
