Wood Data base

CRAIG1952

Well-Known Member
I was at Laurance's shop in Santa Monica today Visiting and picking up some 440C blanks that he had heat treated for me. We started talking about Scale material. I told him I was offered some Rosewood scrap from a large remodel. He told me to be careful with that stuff, because he became sick when using Rose wood. So on my way home I got thinking about all the woods we can use for Scale's. I google'd toxic wood and it's effects. I found this web page with a lot of interesting information.


http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-allergies-and-toxicity/

Kind of raised the hair on the back of my neck :what!: Some woods can even cause Heart problems :jawdrop:
also Some of these woods can cause skin irriations :jawdrop:
Some have poisions in the sap :jawdrop:
The bottom line is this won't stop me from my Knife making, but it will sure make me think :biggrin:
 
I've had the nasty skin rash. Made me glad I was wearing a good full face mask. You wouldn't think it of wood, would you? How much more "organic" can you get. Antler dust is carcinogenic. G10 and micarta are just yuk (until you see them as a finished handle and they look pretty nice. Metal dust - solvents - abrasive remnants - and we haven't even started to talk about burns, cuts stabs, heavy / hot objects landing on toes.... hell, we haven't even said BUFFER! :what!:
 
I second the recommendation to use a respirator. Dust masks only make you think that you are doing something to protect yourself. They're cheap when compared to a trip to the doctor for a biopsy to see what that growth in the lung is or an ER visit because you had reaction to what you were sanding or grinding.

Doug
 
Cocobolo was the kind of Rosewood that got me!

Even with a Respirator about half the time back, This was over 10 years ago.
I was getting rashes and hives and red watery eyes and then one day I thought I was having a Heart attack! I couldn't breathe and my Chest was all tightened up! I spent about 7-9 hours in the E.R.

Not sure what was worse? The symptoms or being in the dang E.R. all night!

My regular Doc finally showed and I was telling him about the rash etc and then the Chest pain etc and he said you are allergic to something and I think it has to do with your Knife making.

I called a knife maker buddy the next day and he said, I Bet it's the Cocobolo wood. Pay someone to completely clean out your shop and let it air out for a few days. And stay out of there until it's done.
No more CocoBolo!

He was right! So I stopped all rosewoods and wear my Respirator about 95% percent of the time I am in the shop now! I also stopped using Micarta a couple of years later from really bad Headaches and a rash on my hands.

Micarta releases formaldehyde when you grind it! My Father was allergic to formaldehyde.

I now wear my Respirator all the time when grinding woods and acrylics etc..

I am in this for the long haul and don't want to sacrifice my health.

So the moral of the story is wear your darn respirator or one day you may find yourself in the E.R. thinking you are about to die!:s12108:

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com/
 
I had a bad experience with Pearl. I had a heart attack and the doctor could not find anything wrong with my heart at the time. He started researching some of the stuff I used and came back with the pearl.
He told me some people it will not bother and for me the next time may be the last time. I of course have not used pearl again. After I read up on it some I found that the knifemakers of old in England and Germany had a short life span mostly because fo what they were useing.
Be careful out there as life is short enough as it is.

Percy
 
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