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The Alternative Woods Committee Many contemporary bow makers will be able to work from their stocks for a long time but the world's production shops will need to shift to another wood. Illegal traffic in pernambuco would undermine the efforts of the IPCI-USA to gain the trust of the Brazilian ministry of the environment (IBAMA) and to bring about a sustainable system and certification process.

Fortunately, there are some very promising woods suitable even for high quality bows. Our committee is testing these and searching for further possibilities from around the globe. To pass muster a wood must not only have the right characteristics of density, strength and beauty but it also must be a species that is abundant and sustainable. It should be possible to certify the wood's sustainability under the FSC, an international timber certifying organization. Once we have settled on the best possible wood species, many of today's best bow makers will make bows from these woods and get the endorsement of musicians. A future exhibition of these bows will enable us to publicize our findings and encourage the use of these alternative species. In addition, our goal is to develop a certified chain of supply for the selected wood with mills ready to meet a demand for properly selected and dimensioned wood.

If anyone would like to share a specialized knowledge of wood or would like more information please contact the IPCI-USA.