Hooray for Cocobolo!

[somethingclever]

if you are in the market for pipes and are concerned about your woods stability in climate and longevity, i recommend cocobolo.

Not only is cocobolo absolutely astonding to look at, but it is tough, less brittle then ebony, but just as stable if not more so. It is great to turn because it machines almost like a plastic.

Thats not even the best part. The primary unique feature, is that cocobolo's sap seeps into its essentially invsible pores and hardens, mummifying, or fossilizing the wood in a sence. This acts as a sort of water proofing. This means that the wood is far more impervious to climate changes then many others.

Cocobolo will not warp or crack, it is not very brittle like rosewood, or to a lesser extent, ebony, but it is very strong. The only down side is there are some individuals who have an alergic reaction to the wood(probably because of the sap, the same reason it is so good for pipes).

I hope this info is valuable to you.

[billh]

if you are in the market for pipes and are concerned about your woods stability in climate and longevity, i recommend cocobolo.

Not only is cocobolo absolutely astonding to look at, but it is tough, less brittle then ebony, but just as stable if not more so. It is great to turn because it machines almost like a plastic.

Thats not even the best part. The primary unique feature, is that cocobolo's sap seeps into its essentially invsible pores and hardens, mummifying, or fossilizing the wood in a sence. This acts as a sort of water proofing. This means that the wood is far more impervious to climate changes then many others.

Cocobolo will not warp or crack, it is not very brittle like rosewood, or to a lesser extent, ebony, but it is very strong. The only down side is there are some individuals who have an alergic reaction to the wood(probably because of the sap, the same reason it is so good for pipes).

I hope this info is valuable to you.

You raise some interesting points. I've used cocobolo and agree with much of what you say about appearance and properties. Cocobolo is much less brittle than ebony and takes a very high polish, doesn't warp noticeably, and its pores seem to self-seal as you point out.

I wouldn't entirely agree with you about brittleness of rosewood or cracking. Cocobolo is technically a rosewood (dalbergia sp.), and many of the other rosewoods share its properties to varying extents. Checking can be a problem with cocobolo, and I've had pieces with internal flaws shatter, so it is not impervious to these problems. It does, however, appear to have one of the lowest degrees of shrinkage/dimensional change with moisture change of any timber, which is why I chose it for a set destined for a dry climate.

The contact dermatitis issue is a real problem for rosewood flutes, in which the players' lips are in contact with the instrument. All rosewoods can potentially cause this problem, including African Blackwood, but cocobolo seems to trigger stronger reactions than ABW and some other dalbergias. A small minority of individuals are sensitive to skin contact (with fingers, for instance). For this reason I avoid oil-based finishes on cocobolo (which facilitate the leaching of irritants) and use a thin barrier finish of natural shellac (that is, true lac insect shellac, as in 'French polish').

Cocobolo can vary quite a bit in color and, to a lesser extent, properties - there seem to be differences between Mexican and Panamanian/Nicaraguan varieties, for instance. The Mexican wood may be somewhat less threatened, from a forest-management perspective. I have found it increasingly difficult to get good quality cocobolo in Europe recently, and in fact I don't have any at the moment. I have some very similar rosewoods that I am using instead.

regards,

Bill

[Joseph E. Smith]

.... 'nuff said.

[djm]

I know the dust raised from working cocobolo can be pretty hard on the lungs. Dust masks, please.

djm

[sturob]

I agree that cocobolo is a great timber from a player's perspective, but as Bill mentioned, it seems to be just as likely (if not moreso) to cause horrible allergic reactions as blackwood.

Makes a visually stunning instrument, as JES has demonstrated. I've seen it red, brown, and even pitch black.

But, I think contact dermatitis issues are considerably more seldom for UPs than for flutes, say, since there's not much of the UP that spends time in one's mouth.

I mean, depends on your technique.

Stuart

[bensdad]

Joseph's technique of hanging a beer can from the chanter top is one I recommend.

[mayo_piper]

As a former NYC cop I used to carry a nightstick made of Cocobolo...I never had any reactions from it at all...but a few times OTHERS who came into contact with it had uncontrolable swelling !

[Doc Jones]

B'rer Joseph, Is that an extra drone on your set? Looks like it has a little Northumbrian-style on-y/off-y thingy.

What's it fer?


Also, looks like one of the tone holes has a metal insert. What's the scoop there?


While you're at it, do illuminate on the set's key and maker. Sure is a beauty.

Patrick

[meemtp]

Kirk Lynch no longer works with cocobolo due to an allergy...

[ceadach]

Adding to what Bill said, colobolo is a great wood and more forgiving that many tropicals. Joseph's cocobolo pipes have a great sound and IMHO are one of the more visually satisfying sets that I've seen in person. But every material has it's draw backs. Remember:

~Any wood can crack, split or check given the right conditions. Then again so can granite. It is an organic material and subject to all the same physical laws that govern the universe.

~Any fine dust in the air is bad for lungs be it from wood, smoke or dirt. Long term it can cause a host of health problems.

~ Extended expose to just about anything in our environment can led to allergies. Hardwoods contain naturally occurring chemicals that range from mildly to highly toxic to humans and mammals. Some, like ebony and the rosewoods, are thought to be even carcinogenous. The ultra hard tropical woods that are prized for making for making wind instruments for their durability and acoustic reasons tend to be more toxic than those of lower density.

~There seems to be some "luck of the draw" in all this. Some people have a lower resistance to these toxins than others. I found out the hard way that I'm extremely allergic to Yew. Others never develop any problems over the course of a lifetime.

~ As with anything like this caution is your best ally. If you are going to take up working these hardwoods, plan ahead and use a mask in a ventilated space. If you know you have skin allergies, watch mindfully for a reaction if you play an instrument made out of exotic hardwood. If you have a reaction there are usually simple remedies for it ranging from using a finish that blocks resins ( like Bill mentioned) using a metal lip plate, ( like Brother Nano does) or switching to an instrument made of another wood.

[Nanohedron]

Indeed, I am ever thankful that I only need the lip inset and that my fingers aren't affected!

[wgority]

My uilleann pipes, GHB, veuze, binious and bombardes are all made of cocobolo. I recommend it highly for its beauty and durability. I've never had any issues with contact dermatitis over the 12-15 years that I've had the oldest of these pipes.

The the tone of my UP chanter is bright and has a bit of volume, and the drones are sweet and really sing. The GHB drones are, without doubt, the finest sounding I've ever heard.

Additionally if you're looking for a dark/black coloration for your pipes, it's photosensitive and darkens after prolonged exposure to sunlight. It also can be ammonia fumed to darken it down to a deep reddish-brown the verges on black.

If a maker offers to do your pipes from this wood, take the opportunity!

[The Sporting Pitchfork]

Cocobolo's a great wood to look at and practically speaking, it sounds about as good as most any other wood. That being said, I think I'll stick with either boxwood or ebony for tonewoods, thanks very much.

[marcpipes]

I've had some pieces of cocobolo sitting in my wood rack for years, but have been afraid to turn them. Does anybody know of a relatively safe way to test of you have an allergy to it? I was thinking of filing some dust from it, putting it on a band-aid pad, sticking it to my inner arm and checking for a reaction after a little while. Any better ideas?

[Nanohedron]

I've had some pieces of cocobolo sitting in my wood rack for years, but have been afraid to turn them. Does anybody know of a relatively safe way to test of you have an allergy to it? I was thinking of filing some dust from it, putting it on a band-aid pad, sticking it to my inner arm and checking for a reaction after a little while. Any better ideas?

There are wood toxicity charts on the web that might be of help to you. They generally cover the ways in which reactions are likely to happen, and also the relative risks. Contact dermatitis from solid wood is usually due to repeated topical contact rather than a pre-existing condition, and seldom general, in my personal experience: the space under my bottom lip is sensitised and allergic, but my fingers are not. Once an area is sensitised, it's that way for good and only gets worse with repeated contact. The greatest risks with exotic hardwoods come from breathing the dust, and probably any smoke, too, so a GOOD mask - and goggles, I think - would be a darned good idea. I talked with one fellow who gave up being a luthier after he went into anaphylactic shock from breathing rosewood dust. Wouldn't have happened if he'd used a mask, but he wasn't willing to do that, so there you have it.

Really, if you use a good mask and other reasonable precautions, you should be all right.