"poison" sebenza inbound

Congratulations - Great score!
This is a fine example of the wood I think.
You could add a small one too. ;)
red mag

PS: Can't wait to see it in a different perspective.
 
GREAT write up!! I can not wait to see it. Please take pictures soon after you get it and post them, just in case. :-)


kidcongo said:
Well, I suppose no one is going to guess. As much as I wish I was getting a knife from a member of an '80s glam metal band :rolleyes: , or one with a deadly spider engraved on it :eek: , the answer is likely more mundane to most, but interesting to me.

I have been wanting a wood inlay large Sebenza, but was having a tough time deciding on the wood. I have a beautiful Box Elder small 21, but it's too nice if you know what I mean. I just can't bring myself to throw it in my pocket with the keys, so I wanted something not so figured and flashy. I know Lignum Vitae is one of the densest and hardest woods on earth (which would be cool), but also is gone from the catalogue in the large size 21, and I can't say I truly love all of the examples out there, though some are stellar. So having written off the Lignum idea, I started to notice a muted and meek wood selection hanging around the dusty back-corners of some of the knife seller's websites. A wood that is also very dense and hard, and so inconspicuous and innocuous looking that I had no idea of the dark secret it held:

Tamboti wood is a killer. The word 'Tamboti' means "poison tree" in Africa where it grows.

When I started to read up on the history of this wood, I knew I had found something really interesting. It turns out Tamboti is actually quite dangerous. The problem being that the sap can make you blind, of if injested might kill you, while a campfire made of tamboti wood gives off poisonous smoke, and food cooked on the fire will make one violently ill, and the sawdust is also poisonous and can cause lung ailments and skin rashes. Clothes hangers made from Tamboti prevent insects from damaging clothes as they won't come near the stuff. Tamboti logs may be easily mistaken for other woods, and as such, people who enjoy the outdoors in southern Africa have to get good at indentifying Tamboti so they don't poison the family during the weeny roast: "Thanks for the marshmallow.............geez, I don't feel so good"

Some reading for those interested:

http://23thorns.com/2013/05/31/33-the-poison-tree/

http://www.brousse-james.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100:spirostachys-africana-tamboti&catid=35:species-details&Itemid=79

I just love this quote from the first article:

"Like many poisonous plants, it is also used in traditional medicine. It’s used, bizarrely enough, to cure stomach ailments. Which is a bit silly, since if you get the dosage wrong, you can damage your internal organs. Or die. Which will, I suppose, relieve the pain. It’s also used for curing toothache. You dribble a little of the sap on the sore spot and pray that you’re not going to die. Which will, at the very least, take your mind off the pain from the tooth."

I also read that NIOSH is considering new strict rules regarding working with poisonous wood dusts as a safeguard against workplace injury, which might explain why it seems to be discontinued from the CRK line-up (at least for now). I suppose the CRK crew might not be too hot on inhaling poisonous wood dust.

And the icing on the interesting cake, is that it is supposed to smell nice! Tamboti oil is used in some perfumes.

Anyways......hope this wasn't too much of a bore. It piqued my curiosity enough that I pulled the trigger on a large 21 in this "sleeper" wood while they are still on the shelf. I also like the fact it grows in South Africa, which is a nice CRK tie-in in it's way. I suppose if I want to check-out of this life early, I can always stick my head in the oven and set my Tamboti Sebenza on fire. :D

I will post some pics when it gets here........if I'm still alive ;)
Click to expand...
 
I had ever heard anything about that wood being so poisonous,that's a very interesting write up.
Thank you for sharing.
 
Thanks Cody, that is a very informative write up about wood that I had never heard of before. It's amazing what you can learn on this forum.

Congratulations on your new, very interesting, addition!

And make sure you wash your hands after fondle it. :D

kidcongo said:
Well, I suppose no one is going to guess. As much as I wish I was getting a knife from a member of an '80s glam metal band :rolleyes: , or one with a deadly spider engraved on it :eek: , the answer is likely more mundane to most, but interesting to me.

I have been wanting a wood inlay large Sebenza, but was having a tough time deciding on the wood. I have a beautiful Box Elder small 21, but it's too nice if you know what I mean. I just can't bring myself to throw it in my pocket with the keys, so I wanted something not so figured and flashy. I know Lignum Vitae is one of the densest and hardest woods on earth (which would be cool), but also is gone from the catalogue in the large size 21, and I can't say I truly love all of the examples out there, though some are stellar. So having written off the Lignum idea, I started to notice a muted and meek wood selection hanging around the dusty back-corners of some of the knife seller's websites. A wood that is also very dense and hard, and so inconspicuous and innocuous looking that I had no idea of the dark secret it held:

Tamboti wood is a killer. The word 'Tamboti' means "poison tree" in Africa where it grows.

When I started to read up on the history of this wood, I knew I had found something really interesting. It turns out Tamboti is actually quite dangerous. The problem being that the sap can make you blind, of if injested might kill you, while a campfire made of tamboti wood gives off poisonous smoke, and food cooked on the fire will make one violently ill, and the sawdust is also poisonous and can cause lung ailments and skin rashes. Clothes hangers made from Tamboti prevent insects from damaging clothes as they won't come near the stuff. Tamboti logs may be easily mistaken for other woods, and as such, people who enjoy the outdoors in southern Africa have to get good at indentifying Tamboti so they don't poison the family during the weeny roast: "Thanks for the marshmallow.............geez, I don't feel so good"

Some reading for those interested:

http://23thorns.com/2013/05/31/33-the-poison-tree/

http://www.brousse-james.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100:spirostachys-africana-tamboti&catid=35:species-details&Itemid=79

I just love this quote from the first article:

"Like many poisonous plants, it is also used in traditional medicine. It’s used, bizarrely enough, to cure stomach ailments. Which is a bit silly, since if you get the dosage wrong, you can damage your internal organs. Or die. Which will, I suppose, relieve the pain. It’s also used for curing toothache. You dribble a little of the sap on the sore spot and pray that you’re not going to die. Which will, at the very least, take your mind off the pain from the tooth."

I also read that NIOSH is considering new strict rules regarding working with poisonous wood dusts as a safeguard against workplace injury, which might explain why it seems to be discontinued from the CRK line-up (at least for now). I suppose the CRK crew might not be too hot on inhaling poisonous wood dust.

And the icing on the interesting cake, is that it is supposed to smell nice! Tamboti oil is used in some perfumes.

Anyways......hope this wasn't too much of a bore. It piqued my curiosity enough that I pulled the trigger on a large 21 in this "sleeper" wood while they are still on the shelf. I also like the fact it grows in South Africa, which is a nice CRK tie-in in it's way. I suppose if I want to check-out of this life early, I can always stick my head in the oven and set my Tamboti Sebenza on fire. :D

I will post some pics when it gets here........if I'm still alive ;)
Click to expand...
 
Great info, very interesting. Like the others above, really looking forward to the pictures. Thanks for sharing!
 
And thw wood is an isect repellant. Very interesting wood to read about, and beautiful too.
 
Ok Cody, it's not all about you! The rest of us have wants and desires, where are thoes pictures! :-) Looking forward to them with such an interesting wood. I am sure you are calm and just saying "well it will be here when it gets here, I am in no rush". :-)
 
I am trying to keep it from my mind trust me. When my wife calls me at work, I keep hoping it's to tell me a box arrived. Not so far.
 
kidcongo said:
I am trying to keep it from my mind trust me. When my wife calls me at work, I keep hoping it's to tell me a box arrived. Not so far.
Click to expand...
Is this thing being delivered by a tortoise or what? :D I'm anxious and its not even mine!!
All the best, Dave
 
Wow....good info Al. This wood is growing in legend. If I find the postman dead on my doorstep, I'll know he opened my mail. ;)

"This knife is prohibited from being sold in, or shipped to, Alaska, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin"
 
Keep calm.
In the meantime i may offer some diversion.
Probably a relative of Cody's Sebie.
enjoy
red mag

small Sebenza 21 Tamboti
 
kidcongo said:
Haze,

we all like your input on this forum....don't breathe too deeply of that Tamboti aroma!
Click to expand...

Not sure about the risks of breathing the scales but lots of tropical hardwoods can be dangerous, even potentially fatal, if you breathe the dust while doing woodworking.

I bought one of the Orvis Nyalas with Tamboti scales and the grain is really extraordinarily nice. I think you'll enjoy your knife a lot! :thumbup:
 
Okay, this thread started out really funny, then it got really interesting, and now has me awaiting pics of this knife....congrats!

btw, i wouldn't keep this thing anywhere near a campfire...:D

dave
 
d.weglarz13 said:
Okay, this thread started out really funny, then it got really interesting, and now has me awaiting pics of this knife....congrats!

btw, i wouldn't keep this thing anywhere near a campfire...:D

dave
Click to expand...

Should arrive tomorrow.

This is the only knife where you could kill someone by stabbing them with the handle! :D:eek::D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top