Not being facetious, but I find it fascinating how the different flora and fauna have produced self defense mechanisms like this and others. Fascinating biology.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, it derives from the Arawak word kakabali. If so it implies the Spanish probably encountered the wood during the early colonial period as their first contact was with Taino speaking people in the Arawak group. It also suggests these people either had cocobolo on the Caribbean islands (it’s long gone now if it was ever endemic there) or obtained it through trade with mainland Central or South America. In Panama today, cocobolo refers to baldness and probably isn’t a reference to the wood but rather a tongue in check reference to coco-coconut and bolo-ball.

We have a few dozen hectares of Honduran rosewood planted around 25 years ago in Guatemala. While not full size, it’s large enough to harvest. Our cocobolo is younger but I don’t think it’s a significantly slower grower than Honduran (they’re very similar and have adjoining if not overlapping territory).

Have just used some kingwood to make some pens when drilling out the barrels the smell had a hint of single malt whisky to it