Rosewood

[Ryan Cathey]

I've got a quick rosewood question and I figured who better to ask than some turners. I promise I'll venture back to "the haven" when I've found my answer:D. I bought a block of rosewood today for a small neander project I'm undertaking and something has been bugging me about it all day. The first thing I noticed when I cut it open is that it has a oddly medicinal smell. A smell that I've smelt before. Even though they say your sense of smell is the sense that is most closely associated to your memory I can't quite put my finger on this smell. Do they make some sort of medicine out of rosewood? This is really bugging me:eek::confused:!! Any help would be most appreciated.

-Ryan C.

[Jack Ferrell]

From Wikipedia,

Steam distilled from the wood chips of the tree, rosewood oil is not widely used for therapeutic purposes, and little research into its medicinal value has been done. Its scent makes it popular as a fragrance and deodorant, and it is a favorite ingredient in many body and skin care products.
Rosewood essential oil is from Aniba rosaeodora (http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Aniba_rosaeodora), a tree from the Amazonian rainforest.

Dunno myself.

[Ryan Cathey]

I knew it had to be something. I just remembered. I think I've smelt it in some sort of muscle relaxer cream(like "icy hot" or something). I guess I just needed to talk about it. Thanks a million.

-Ryan C.

[Jim Becker]

Don't be sniffing your rosewood too much...many folks are reactive to members of the rosewood family...

[Ryan Cathey]

I was excited about cutting into it so I didn't wait to get home(I'm at my Grandmother's house) where my respirator is at. I'm allergic to almost everything and I'm really surprised it didn't really punch me in the face. But you know what they say about rosewood-it's a desensitiser. So one of these days...BAM!!!...it's gonna get me. Oh well untill that day I'm going to use it all I can.

-Ryan C.