Has anyone here had a reaction to Mopane?
Loren
Hi Loren-
I’ve had a Mopane flute for about six months now, and no problems. It’s been superb, and seems to be getting better with age. Can’t say the same for me!
~Sean 
Thanks Sean.
Loren
Same here. Going on a year. I’ve never reacted to other woods either, though.
Hi,
I am playing one for almost a year, almost every day up to two hours. No problems so far. Hope it remains so.
Moritz
Thanks all.
One additional question for those who have answered as well as those yet to:
Do you react to blackwood?
Thanks,
Loren
Hi again Loren-
I react quite well to blackwood. Every time I play his clips I want to get up and dance 
Seriously though, I’ve never reacted to any type of wood, although I’ve never tried cocus.
~Sean
Played on blackwood and cocus only for short instances an sessions and workshops. No problems whatsoever. My clarinet is from blackwood. Also bever problems, although admittedly it looks like it has been treated with a special sealing finish. No idea what it is they use at Keilwerth.
Are you going for a Mopane flute, Loren? Or do you work on these?
Haven’t had any reactions reported, Loren, but I haven’t made a vast number of Mopane flutes.
Only reactions I can remember have been the very occasional blackwood and cocus. Don’t remember any of the Australian woods, boxwood or delrin proving problematic.
I did have one customer allergic to silver!
Terry
Some of us still remember that fated day, when you found out you were allergic to your new Olwell “cocus cannon”. http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=4545&start=0 
But I don’t think you will have any problems with Mopane. If anyone knows best about this, it would be Casey Burns…
three or four years with no reaction on mopane
ah, don’t know about the blackwood…silver lip plate
silver I react to…been okay so far
must not be playing enough
I have multiple-chemical sensitivity, which means that I am sensitive/allergic to many rather ordinary smells and contacts in my environment. I have learned to control most of the offensive items in my personal space. However, I cannot do that in public spaces.
To the question at hand, I have tried flutes in mopane and delrin, and I do not like the feel of either material. Both make my fingers itch. But, like I said, I am more sensitive than most individuals.
I had a blackwood headjoint back in my Boehm days, and I didn’t react very significantly, although I did sometimes notice a bit of redness under my lip.
Brief (<5 minute) tries of other people’s blackwood flutes don’t cause any reaction. I’ve played a mopane flute since 2004 and have never had any sort of reaction.
I should add that I recently tried a cocus flute, and experienced la tingling sensation almost immediately.
I have been playing a flute which I purchased at a Celtic festival from Mexicans who claimed it to be made from Mopane for almost two years. While it doesn’t look or match the grain of pictures of mopane that I’ve seen on the internet, the color is similar. I have recently develpoped open lesions above my upper lip. Look, I’m no angel, and I realize that the lesions could be caused by other “weaknesses” that I have, but of course the flute is suspect. Others who have been playing it haven’t been struck with the same affliction.
Say hello to C. Howett Fields for me, would you?
Rob
I’m touchy about some of the rosewoods and cocus. Haven’t had trouble with blackwood.
Mopane seems very inert to me. I’d touch base with Casey Burns. If anyone would have heard anything he would have.
Doc
I currently play Blackwood, Mopane and Box wood with no reactions at all. I did play a Rosewood fife some years ago that made my lips begin to “tingle” so I stopped playing it. I recall playing a flute recently that had been rubbed down, on the outside, with Tongue Oil and that caused a similar sensation. I solved that one with an alcohol rub followed by an application of Almond/Olive Oil (maybe 60::40)
No problem with mopane here. Casey Burns is a chemically sensitive person with allergies and he built my mopane flute.
Yech…Whose tounge?
and how much oil can ya get outta one?