Toxic wood

J

jimhenry280

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Dec 30, 2023
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Hello, I’ve been making knives for about 2 1/2 years and am now for the first time suffering from an allergic reaction. It’s pretty bad on my arms and upon further research, I’ve found sanding certain wood can be bad for health all around. I haven’t always worn a respirator during the hand sanding process but do now. The last two knives I made the handles were Morado and bocote and within two weeks of the first (morado) and a week later bocote I have a bad rash all over my wrists fingers and forearms. I have begun to love knife making and have made huge strides in my work….however I’m not going through this again. My question is there a safe or safer wood that still makes a decent handle. I recently purchased a Pheer 454 and just ordered an even heat 27”. So I stand to lose a lot if I just stop or just stick to bladesmithing blades with no wood handles. Any help would be appreciated.
Also this is my first time here and post
 
Many woods can cause allergic reactions.
Using a fan or vacuum to draw the dust away is always a good idea. Many years ago, I got my brand new Grizzy 2 X 72 grinder. I really got into grinding some old phenolic that I had laying around. I went into anaphylactic shock later that evening. Never had a reaction to anything up to that point, and nothing major since, but if I grind cocobolo or rosewood I sneeze and snot like crazy.
Using rubber gloves, and long sleeves can help-as can taking a good shower as soon as possible.
There are many options beside wood. Micarta, laminated wood (Pakkawood, etc.,) stag, horn, synthetics, jigged bone. Everyone else will say "G 10" but I don't even want it in my shop.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
Many woods can cause allergic reactions.
Using a fan or vacuum to draw the dust away is always a good idea. Many years ago, I got my brand new Grizzy 2 X 72 grinder. I really got into grinding some old phenolic that I had laying around. I went into anaphylactic shock later that evening. Never had a reaction to anything up to that point, and nothing major since, but if I grind cocobolo or rosewood I sneeze and snot like crazy.
Using rubber gloves, and long sleeves can help-as can taking a good shower as soon as possible.
There are many options beside wood. Micarta, laminated wood (Pakkawood, etc.,) stag, horn, synthetics, jigged bone. Everyone else will say "G 10" but I don't even want it in my shop.
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Thanks, switching to G10 ( in my opinion not near as beautiful) was my first thought but then read about the hazards of that as well
 
I had a similar experience with cocobolo even if it was only a sore nose/throat and bad cough. Somehow this doesnt apply to other rosewoods (and ebony) for me though.
As far as G10 goes, I try to keep my exposure to it to a minimum (only use it for liners)
 
Cocobolo and other tropical woods often have resins that cause a reaction. It can also build up and suddenly you become allergic to a particular wood.

Long sleeves, gloves, vacuuming things up, a shop air cleaner/filter, respirator, etc. ... all help, but if the exposure is there and you are allergic, it will cause a reaction.

NOTE: G-10 is a fine material, but remember that you are creating minute glass fibers when sanding/cutting/grinding. If you don't have a very good dust extraction and clean up well, you can get a nasty fiberglass rash. Breathing it is very bad!
 
A lot of good thoughts here already, especially the dust collection and respirator. I have heard that working g10 wet is a good idea. Maybe you could do the same with various woods? I'm also wondering if various burls would have the same problem for you? Maybe try buckeye or maple?
 
I had a really bad reaction to Cocobolo a few years back and ended up in the hospital for three days. Since then I religiously wear a full mask and keep the shop as clean as I can. I would also highly recommend a air cleaner filter. I love the look of Cocobolo, but not enough to use it again. I also wear gloves when working with G-10.

There's more than one knife maker whose had serious lung problems later in life. Don't be one of them!
 
Not a maker but a user/customer.

Beware, allergies get worse with more exposure, also happens in the kitchen, with poison ivy, etc.

Every one of my wooden handled knives, I would also cherish in Micarta, Terro Tuff or similar; there are some great materials out there. Just avoid wood alltogether ?
 
Along with gloves and a good respirator I use a Tyvek suit when doing a lot of sanding. A quick walk outside and using the compressor to blow the dust off helps me keep the mess off my skin out of the house where others may come in contact with it. $15 well spent and I get months of use out of one suit.
 
I've used desert ironwood, which is pretty nasty stuff, but I've always been afraid of cocobolo. I thought I'd read about someone getting fungus in their lungs from it at one time, but I'm not sure.

Definitely important to wear a mask. I even wear a tyvek suit with gloves when I work with desert ironwood.
 
As far as wood suggestions (I have itchy sensitive skin) and would never want to try Coco


I have made a few from ebony and bocote without issues, idk they were on The List. :0


I Really like Osage, Maple, Walnut.
I have some summac that I plan on sending out for stabilization.
 
I will echo what others have said: always use gloves, respirator ( full mask is not a bad idea), long sleeves, use good dust collection. I have a shop air cleaner, and it is startling how much dust you see it collect on the filter, esp disloyalty when using the grinder …even with other active collection close to the grinder. I think if you are careful and keep things clean you can be pretty safe (horsewright, I think, keeps himself covered, and so far has been ok).

stabilized burls and spalted wood is beautiful… spalted maple is a good one, so is buckeye burl

the wood database has a chart of woods and their toxicity levels … easily found with a google search.
 
Thank you all for the replies. This rash is bad and I am literally afraid to go into my shop (12x24 shed) and clean up the dust is literally on everything everywhere , tools, supplies, everything. When using a belt sander it’s impossible to keep it from getting over everything in such a small space. I do not have a dust collector. But can’t imagine it cleaning the mess just one knife makes. Maybe I’m wrong
 
jimhenry280 said:
]Thank you all for the replies. This rash is bad and I am literally afraid to go into my shop (12x24 shed) and clean up the dust is literally on everything everywhere , tools, supplies, everything. When using a belt sander it’s impossible to keep it from getting over everything in such a small space. I do not have a dust collector. But can’t imagine it cleaning the mess just one knife makes. Maybe I’m wrong
Click to expand...
It sounds like you might want to see a dermatologist. They can probably give you something for the rash. And also maybe some recommendations on cleanup. In addition to an air filter, I clean up with a vacuum and an air compressor. I use the air compressor to get small particles out of areas the vacuum won't reach and then clean that up with the vacuum. Perhaps you can have someone else cleanup?
 
Not to do with making. but I have a DW .45 with cocobolo grips. I noticed after carrying it under my shirt I got a rash where the grip touched my side.
I swapped them out.
 
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It might be a good idea to create a caution when working with for woods and other mats. as a sticky or as a publicly available pdf to download and print for makers
i've had some of the minor reactions that are to be with when working/sanding bloodwood dry mouth and an itch/irritation on my arms/skin nothing severe like some of what is mentions by others but enuf to notice something is different
 
seanj said:
It sounds like you might want to see a dermatologist. They can probably give you something for the rash. And also maybe some recommendations on cleanup. In addition to an air filter, I clean up with a vacuum and an air compressor. I use the air compressor to get small particles out of areas the vacuum won't reach and then clean that up with the vacuum. Perhaps you can have someone else cleanup?
Click to expand...
I’ve been to the dermatologist he gave me a topical steroid cream
 
jimhenry280 said:
Thank you all for the replies. This rash is bad and I am literally afraid to go into my shop (12x24 shed) and clean up the dust is literally on everything everywhere , tools, supplies, everything. When using a belt sander it’s impossible to keep it from getting over everything in such a small space. I do not have a dust collector. But can’t imagine it cleaning the mess just one knife makes. Maybe I’m wrong
Click to expand...
you might just have a natural reaction to those particular woods like some people cant be stung by bee's or eat certain foods
do the best you can to get treated and if needed ask for help to clean up the shop if possible.
 
jimhenry280 said:
Thank you all for the replies. This rash is bad and I am literally afraid to go into my shop (12x24 shed) and clean up the dust is literally on everything everywhere , tools, supplies, everything. When using a belt sander it’s impossible to keep it from getting over everything in such a small space. I do not have a dust collector. But can’t imagine it cleaning the mess just one knife makes. Maybe I’m wrong
Click to expand...
get a respirator and get completely covered up with long clothing and gloves. Get a whole-shop air cleaner. run the cleaner, then go in first with a shop vac (one with a HEPA filter) and vacume everywhere you can see. then use the idea from seanj to blast air into the small spaces and get that dust out of there. What the air cleaner does not capture will settle, then you can vacume that. do that maybe one or two more times. just make sure you yourself are protected (clothes, gloves, respirator) at all times

in my old shop I enclosed the grinder with hanging plastic .... just big enough to surround the 2x2 table and about half way down the front. Inside of that I had dust collection going to a dust deputy and then a vacume , both immediately below the grinder platen, and also in the back of the enclosure.. Whenever I ground wood, I would also have the shop air cleaner pulled upright behind me .... it would capture a surprising amount of dust that came out the front opening. In my new shop I plan to emulate that .... but completely enclose the grinding area.
 
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