"wood-Mafia"

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"wood-Mafia"

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edguerin

Posts: 1590
Joined: Dec. 24 2007
From: Siegburg, Alemania

"wood-Mafia"

I just finished reading an article in GEO, the German equivalent of National Geographic Magazine about the “wood-Mafia”.
Apparently about 20% of all wood sold in Europe and about 10% of that sold in the US comes from illegal sources.
It’s nigh impossible to track sources within Europe, since wood is declared as European as soon as it’s been worked on in any way. So Russian wood imported to Finnland becomes Finnish etc. …
According to this article 50% of wood from Brasil, 70% from West Africa and up to 90% from some Asian countries is felled illegally.
The USA passed the “Lacey Act”, which (at least in theory) allows prosecution of firms involved in illegal import : One of the few cases, in which America is ahead of other countries in ecological legislation.
(See "Raid on Gibson")

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Ed

El aficionado solitario
Alemania

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 29 2010 2:11:29

Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006

RE: "wood-Mafia" (in reply to edguerin)

What you write is absolutely no surprise to me.

But illegal Braz rosewood imported to Europe will still be illegal Braz rosewood

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 29 2010 9:40:34

edguerin

Posts: 1590
Joined: Dec. 24 2007
From: Siegburg, Alemania

RE: "wood-Mafia" (in reply to edguerin)

quote:

illegal Braz rosewood imported to Europe will still be illegal Braz rosewood

According to this article, if Braz rosewood were to be sawn in Germany and re-exported to say Spain, it would "miraculously" become German rosewood guitar soundboards.

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Ed

El aficionado solitario
Alemania

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 29 2010 9:50:18

jshelton5040

Posts: 1500
Joined: Jan. 17 2005

RE: "wood-Mafia" (in reply to edguerin)

I have mixed feelings about this whole topic of wood embargos. Anyone who has spent some time in virtually any of the South American countries knows the level of corruption than exists from the government thugs on down. Someone is going to cut the wood and someone else is going to buy it. This will continue until it's all gone.

The question is should luthiers be allowed to use it for guitars or is it better that it end up as expensive furniture and panelling in Japan and China? I suspect I already know the answer to that question.

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John Shelton - www.sheltonfarrettaguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 29 2010 9:52:21

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 29 2010 13:53:46

Ricardo

Posts: 14861
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: "wood-Mafia" (in reply to edguerin)

Friends from Bolivia said what is done is poachers will cut wood they want from illegal areas, but can't transport it across boarders without getting caught, so they send the logs down river. The wood itself crosses boarders and gets picked up in safe locations. I wonder how useful for guitar making that wood is after it is dried out?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 30 2010 5:29:18

jshelton5040

Posts: 1500
Joined: Jan. 17 2005

RE: "wood-Mafia" (in reply to Ricardo)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ricardo

Friends from Bolivia said what is done is poachers will cut wood they want from illegal areas, but can't transport it across boarders without getting caught, so they send the logs down river. The wood itself crosses boarders and gets picked up in safe locations. I wonder how useful for guitar making that wood is after it is dried out?

Better in the water than out in the sun. If the ends are sealed as soon as it's sawn it would be fine.

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John Shelton - www.sheltonfarrettaguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 30 2010 11:38:30