Dr. Nick
Well-known member
Fuzzy Dustmite said:
Oh, yeah. This whole "exotic tone wood" thing has gotten out of hand!
It's actually quite easy, though. Let me explain all I know about the origin and importation of tone woods:
"Bubinga" is a subspecies of "Wenge". "Wenge” is harvested from sunken stumps found only in the headwaters of the Amazon. “Wenge” is not to be confused with “panga-panga”, which is also harvested from tree stumps, but only from the 6 inches immediately above the waterline.
But perhaps the most sought-after woods come from the exotic east, and many an adventurer and local guide has lost his life or limb in the pursuit of these precious, near-sacred, tone woods. Enter any run-down bar in Bangkok and ask about “Rambutan” or “Spanish Cedar”; you may have to make a hasty exit. Be wary of the reaction you get if you let it slip that you’re in the market for some “Purple Heart Coco Bolo”; “Zebrawood “ or “Natural Finish-African Tulipwood”. Local police officials can be quite stern in enforcing their country’s environmental laws.
Above all, remember that over 89 nations have banned the cultivation, possession or sale of “Box Elder Burl Top-Coretta”
By the way, the term “spalted” is a factory term referring to a piece of wood that has been stained or disfigured with beer or whiskey.
Hope this helps.
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