Posted by Toxicologist on March 04, 2003 at 22:10:55:
In Reply to: Wooden mouthpiece posted by Dave Madison on March 04, 2003 at 13:57:04:
Given its density and color, cocobolo is an interesting choice for a wooden mouthpiece.
But ... yes, cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa)wood , also known as rosewood, can be toxic. It can cause allergic type reactions and can also be a direct irritant (particularly the dust). The incidence of reactions has been characterized as "common". There is a case report of someone who apparently developed an allergy to cocobolo from playing a recorder made of the wood. Heaven only knows what might be in the polyurethane; I wouldn't want it in my mouth without a thorough safety assessment.