I have to agree with Stuart here. I have a lot of allergies to alot of things; fortunately, no reaction to any flute woods. For eg., I love cats, but I simply can’t have one, 'cuz then I’ll die. Have to turn down parties where cats live, too, even if they’re stashed away in back room, because their dander is still there. I can’t eat a lot of foods, either, many of which I love; sometimes I go for it and pay later. But, ultimately, how much do I want to suffer, for how many days, for a bite of something, or to hang out at a party till my lungs collapse?
The point is, while there’s a lot to be said for blackwood, or cocus, or whatever wood it is that you react to, sometimes things have to be appreciated from afar. If my lips were swelling from blackwood, a lip plate might solve the problem. But what if, a few months later, it’s your fingertips that begin to itch and swell? Silver plated holes? By the time you’re done, your silver-plated flute will be a silver flute and weigh a ton. I’m joking, but sometimes, you just can’t own a cat.
Boxwood and blackwood are very different flute woods from each other, and I can see why one might be preferred over the other (either way), for a number of aesthetic and sonic reasons. But when you can play a flute without concern over reactions or adding preventative plates, etc., it’s a wonderfully simple thing, and it’s not as if you don’t have other attributes to appreciate with the chosen, hypoallergenic wood.
If blackwood’s a real problem, another wood is probably your best choice, lip plates aside. It may take some re-thinking, but sooner or later, you’ll probably love the other wood (boxwood; it’s the other white meat) for a new host of reasons, be it boxwood, cocus, mopane, etc.
Gordon
That’s all. Go ahead and love blackwood! Ignore my intrusion.