I have two baroque flutes (one-keyed) made of cocobolo. After about two months of playing, I developed skin allergies on my lower lip (which touches the blow hole of the flute), and on areas of my hand, left forefinger, and thumbs (which support the flute). I’ve placed clear adhesive patches around the lower edge of the blow holes to insulate the lips from the wood, and wear thin cloth gloves on my hands, cutting holes at the fingertips which touch the finger holes. If I change the adhesive patches about once per month – usually at oiling time – I can avoid getting cold sores. I also have a grenadilla (African blackwood) flute, also a rosewood, and so far have no allergic reactions to it.

I really like the bookmatched sapwood on the peghead. Very nice attention to detail.

Not being facetious, but I find it fascinating how the different flora and fauna have produced self defense mechanisms like this and others. Fascinating biology.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, it derives from the Arawak word kakabali. If so it implies the Spanish probably encountered the wood during the early colonial period as their first contact was with Taino speaking people in the Arawak group. It also suggests these people either had cocobolo on the Caribbean islands (it’s long gone now if it was ever endemic there) or obtained it through trade with mainland Central or South America. In Panama today, cocobolo refers to baldness and probably isn’t a reference to the wood but rather a tongue in check reference to coco-coconut and bolo-ball.

We have a few dozen hectares of Honduran rosewood planted around 25 years ago in Guatemala. While not full size, it’s large enough to harvest. Our cocobolo is younger but I don’t think it’s a significantly slower grower than Honduran (they’re very similar and have adjoining if not overlapping territory).

Have just used some kingwood to make some pens when drilling out the barrels the smell had a hint of single malt whisky to it

Has anything new come to light since the 2013 mouse study?

If you have rosewood from Brazil that they are calling “genuine rosewood” then I would assume they are referring to Brazilian Rosewood (Dalberia nigra).

Once you’ve sealed the wood with shellac, you can use any number of finishes. If it isn’t going to get too much wear and handling, you could try to just top coat with shellac too — it is naturally quite glossy. Otherwise polyurethane or lacquer are both glossy as well.