Bow woods

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Joshua Phelps

Usually so. I think periodically its hard to tell the difference between brazil wood and purnambuco if the coloring & grain are tighter on the pernambuco but someone who knows wood would spot it right off. Post pics or ask your rehair guy next time.

Please, do a bit of research on your own, everyone with that question and see the name of the Botanical species of both Brazilwood and Pernambuco. You will be enlightened.

Basically speaking, Pernambuco is Brazilwood that grows in the town of Pernambuco. Like Sparkling wine and Champagne.

Before this wood became the standard for bow making, woods like Snakewood and Ipe' (Pau d'arco) were used for bows. Many old violin bows by the great masters of a century ago have been seen with nail holes in them. Why? Because the wood was used to make barrels for goods imported from Brazil. The Bow makers got the wood cheap and I assume used what they could as long as the holes did not affect the integrity of the strength of the bow or were easy to fill.