Official Luthiers Forum!

.....and bring it back here?

I am not quite familiar with wood exporting and importing laws, so I just wanted to ask.

I leave for a trip to Honduras on Thursday and it just dawned on me that some really good wood comes from Honduras. So I thought that I would be able to get some of this wood cheaply (and maybe if spread some around) for a lot cheaper than I would here in the States.

The only problem is that I'm not sure if I will get in trouble when trying to bring it across the border. Depending on whether I can find any, would I be able to buy a few logs (small logs, they have to fit in my suitcase) and then bring them back? Or is this violating some HUGE international trade law?

I know we have a lot of wood experts here. I'm just hoping they give me the answer I would like to hear.

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-Rob Eckert
Ann Arbor, Michigan

maybe EVEN spread some around

We need an edit button.

Depending on whether I can bring any wood back (and even find some good stuff for that matter) I might, MIGHT be able to fill an order or two. I couldnt do any of the resawing, but I could at least get you the wood.

(I can't promise anything, only if you are having a case of WAS and would like to take a chance)

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-Rob Eckert
Ann Arbor, Michigan

I was in Brazil a few years ago with the intention of doing this very
thing, but all the really good BRW doesn't seem to stay in Brazil very
long, and of course they are prohibited from cutting anything but
stumps.  I never did find anything wide enough for back sets.



Then last year an Argentine friend of mine inherited a bunch of lumber
from his grandfather, who for 30 years built fine grandfather clocks
for the rich & famous.  Among the stock is some really nice
old-growth BRW, which he is able to bring back to the US every time he
goes there (about 3x a year).  I just resawed some 9" wide stuff
for backs & sides last year, lovely!



And he is giving me the
stuff!  Doesn't want it kicking around his house.  I told him
I'd make an instrument for his wife, who's a classical player.

[QUOTE=ToddStock]I was pretty displeased with this situation, so I was forced to make the soldier (who oddly enough, was a bluegrass musician and part-time guitar builder) completely disassemble the crate and dispose of the materials himself. Given that the crate was nearly solid wood (5-6 layers at least...), this was a very taxing job. The wood was pretty much worthless - the grain was plain and boring and had some obvious mold or fungus issues...covered with fine inky black lines.[/QUOTE]

 

_________________
Chris Oliver
Infinity Luthiers
...in the shop.

live every minute...

I retired from a chemical company after 25 years. We traded world wide, and on occasion we would get pallets of stuff from south america. One day I happened to notice that the pallets were made out of mahogany and rosewood....

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Reguards,

Ken H

Each country has its own restrictions as far as what wood and in what condition it can be taken out of the country.

At one time I was part of a Sawmill in Guyana and exported Greenheart, Purpleheart, Lignum Vitae and Platymecium species in log form. Then the local laws were changed to state that all wood for export must be processed locally before eligible for export. We cut the logs into 8/4 to 16/4 slabs and that constituted processing so we were able to continue exporting.

Some countries in Central and South America have size and weight restrictions so that small pieces are tolerated but not whole logs...Check the local rules and then confirm them again.

A friend of mine's father years ago was a contractor in Africa somewhere - when he was about to come back, being a woodworker, he wanted to bring back his acquired stash - the moving company said no way .. so he says, well, you guys are going to crate up the furniture right, they say yep - he says, how bout if I crate some up myself then - they said sure - guess what all the crates where made from Boy these black crates sure are heavy

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"