I don’t recall if specifics on the offending substances in certain woods have been posted here before, so here’s some info that recently came up on another list, for those interested. I’m trying to track down the scientific references for additional info.
Loren
"Yes, contact with cocobolo wood (Dalbergia retursa)
has been recognized as a cause of eczematoid contact
dermatitis (like poison oak). This has been proved by
patch testing either to shavings or to sawdust. It
turns out that several woods contain allergens
including such compounds as quinones, stilbenes,
phenols and terpenes which cause this reaction.
Fairly common offenders are Bolivian rosewood and
Cocobolo woods. Other woods involved include
zericote, pao ferro, becote, macassar ebony and
padauk. Some of the offending compounds have been
identified such as R-3,4-dimethoxydalbergione (in pao
ferro), obtusaquinone (in cocobolo wood) and macassar
quinone (in macassar ebony). As mentioned, adding a
vehicle for the allergen such as oil or petrolatum
will increase its effectiveness.
Some allergic individuals have been noted to have been
inadvertantly sensitized while playing recorders made
of the offending woods as children. One woman was
reported as having been sensitized after having worn a
wooden necklace made from Cocobolo wood and Brazian
and East Indian rosewood.
Some reactions have been rather severe producing a
generalized erythroderma, but none has caused death.
The only known treatment involves avoidance of contact
with the offending timber."
I’ve been told that Brazilian rosewood and jacaranda are the same.
Any wood experts out there have any inputs on the matter? I have a nice jacaranda quena and hopefully will experience no reactions in the future.
As an aside, I seemed to be starting to have an allergic reaction to my
blackwood flute about a year ago. The flute maker suggested I use mineral oil instead of the almond oil I was applying for my monthly “oilings”. I made the change and have had no further symtoms.
Believe it or not !
I developed blackwood allergy to my flute over a period of years. All I have to do is touch exposed blackwood to my lower lip, and the burn starts almost immediately, and takes many days to subside. I’m given to understand that oil of any kind will vector the allergens much more readily, so I don’t know about mineral oil being the answer, but your experience with it is very interesting indeed, Stan. Blackwood is so resinous that it really doesn’t need much oiling on the exterior anyway, as Pat Olwell suggested to me. I used to oil mine like crazy; maybe that contributed to my sensitization. Pat’s making a new headjoint and barrel on mine, and this time around it gets an inset lip plate to prevent contact. That’ll be sorta like sitting in a little boat surrounded by piranhas, won’t it!
I’m currently playing a Maple flute (Prattenish design) that has really surprised me with it’s tone and power. After a quite a bit of linseed oiling (don’t start with me Stuart, I’m not the one who oiled it ) it looks just like Boxwood. Needless to say I’m having no adverse reactions, where as if I play a Blackwood or Cocus flute for even one tune, my lower lip and chin are itching and mildly burning
Eh, just when I decide I need a hiatus from C&F I look back and someone posts something interesting!
That explains why none of the treatments suggested (none of the easy ones) have worked. The information posted by Loren suggests that, in fact, this isn’t an allergic reaction in the sense of ragweed or shrimp, but rather a dermaTITIS. There’s not any desensitization for contact dermatitis, and it tends to get worse and worse and worse. It could be that the mineral oil doesn’t act as a good vehicle for the offending agents.
That said, if someone gets a bad breakout from his or her flute, it might be interesting to put an over-the-counter cream for poison ivy on it (meaning a weak steroid). Maybe I’m completely out of touch, but it seems like there might be some weak over-the-counter steroid creams. They should get rid of the reaction, or lessen it, but you should only put it on the skin and not on the lip itself.
Take a break from C&F? Ha! I know just what it takes to reel you back in again
Anyway, here’s the reference list for the previous info if you want to look into it further - I will at some point, but don’t have the time or resources at the moment. (And this bit about the reactions being a contact dematitis rather than a “true” allergy do make things fall into place a little more…)
Loren
Am J contact Dermat 2004 14(2):90-2.
Am J Contact Dermat 2002 13(1):42-4.
Am J Contact Dermat 1997 8(3):185-7.
4, Am J Contact Dermat 1997 8(2):114-7.
Derm Beruf Umwelt 1983 31(4):110-7.
(Edited to put in the references I obviously forgot, Doh!!! )
Hey Jim, I got an email from Tony Dixon the other day and he has been experimenting with maple for his flutes. The rosewood one he made for me is just a dandy. He said he was real happy with the way things are turning out and as soon as he has built up some stock he will offer them on his web site. Might be worth looking into .
Jim, for a variety of reasons I can’t get into certain details, like who made the flute(although I can tell you it wasn’t made by Tony Dixon or Ralph Sweet). What I can tell you is that the flute is a typical “Irish” style high quality flute with a Prattenish bore, medium size finger holes, tuning slide, and a fully lined headjoint. The tone of this Maple flute is warm and powerful, really impressive. This instrument has convinced me that I could be quite happy to have (as my main flute) a well made hard Maple instrument.
On the one hand I’m surprised more makers aren’t offering Maple as an option. OTH, knowing what it costs to buy Blackwood in bulk, there wouldn’t be any significant price break for a top quality Maple flute, and Maple certainly doesn’t have the “status” of Blackwood, Cocus, Boxwood, etc., so it would be a hard sell for a maker. Perhaps though, with good quality Boxwood becoming more and more hard to come by, we may see more Maple flutes in the future.
There was a time when I was wondering aloud on
this board what a maple flute, done well, with
tuning slide, etc. would sound like.
This is what I was hoping to hear. Thanks
I think people might take it seriously if someone were to make a flute out of figured maple: fiddleback, curly, birdseye, whatever. Maple can have better figure (meaning grain designs) than ever seen in boxwood. Hmm! Perhaps an idea for an enterprising young flutemaker. Line the headjoint and I bet you could make a real player . . . if you’re worried about the tone, you could even do a Noy-esque amber/ivory/whatever blowing edge, or do one of those fancy embouchure bushings.
Maybe this should be a PM and not a posting! Eh! Dibs on my idea!
Oh great, you’re probably already having royalty contracts drawn up!
Seriously, I’ve had a thing for Maple ( insert joke here) ever since I saw a gorgeos stained Bird’s Eye Maple Drumset (Tama) when I was 18 (Yeah, I played the drumset back then - insert several jokes here) - Man, that was the sweetest looking wood I’d ever seen!! (second place was the Sonor Bubinga drumset I had seen a couple of years earlier, the set was so big you could have made about a hundred flutes out of the wood used to make it, but I digress)I’m still trying to find out what (exactly) they used to get the Honey Gold color on the Bird’s Eye Maple set, I hear Maple is notoriously resistant to oil based stains…
And I’m totally with you on the figuring thing Stuart, plenty of great figured Maple out there that would make awesome and (virtually) non-reaction causing flutes.
My single experience with maple flutes is the
Sweet D, which has a strong, pure sound.
It sounds the best of the sweet inexpensives,
except, maybe, for Rosewood, but that costs more
and I’m not exactly sure it’s better.
So I think maple just may be good stuff for
flutes. Ralph says he soaks the flutes in
tung oil, twice, I think, and we’ve had
threads here about forcing wax into maple
recorders. But I don’t know if this is necessary
for maple–but maybe it’s more absorbent
than blackwood. If somebody has made
a good, high end maple flute, that’s
promising and interesting, too. Best
It would be fun to see more woods offered…Terry McGee certainly has an assortment, but for the most part blackwood seems to hold the status of ‘real flute’ wood. The contrast of blackwood and silver is quite striking, but so is the contrast between delrin and silver…
I’ve been playing a mopane flute by Casey Burns, and I think it looks great, sounds lovely, and is very durable. In fact, I like it so much that the keyed Copley I’ve ordered will be in mopane. If I’m gonna play a wood flute, I’d like it to look like wood!
Micah
I’m With you Micah, I like my flutes to look like wood - Blackwood gets a bit boring after a while. I bet you’re going love that Mopane Copley, that wood is really beautiful when it’s oiled and polished.
) it looks just like Boxwood. Needless to say I’m having no adverse reactions, where as if I play a Blackwood or Cocus flute for even one tune, my lower lip and chin are itching and mildly burning 
)