Hey there, I’m carving a love spoon currently and working with yew for the first time. I had seen it was toxic so been trying to be careful, but I touched it with my hands and then rubbed the inside of my nose on accident! The end of my nose has gone a bit red but nothing crazy, has anyone else these kind of effects and lived to tell the tale! After some research it seems like people are touching yew often and are fine but sometimes the paranoid thoughts take over! Any stories? Or advice to head to the emergency room?
Yew wood
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That seems coincidental to me. I have worked yew for a few things and never noticed a problem. Rubbing the inside of your nose can cause redness without notional wood contact residue.
Nearly all wood dust can be toxic to an extent if inhaled, even from “safe” wood like beech. Just touching isn’t usually a problem….but some people are sensitive to some things. If you don’t have a reaction on your hands, I wouldn’t worry about your nose.
Nearly all wood dust can be toxic to an extent if inhaled, even from “safe” wood like beech. Just touching isn’t usually a problem….but some people are sensitive to some things. If you don’t have a reaction on your hands, I wouldn’t worry about your nose.
Anti histamines are good things 
I think though if you are having this kind of reaction, it might be best to wear a mask when working it.
No shortage of masks about these days...... and it might not go amiss to be careful with your eyes around it too.
If it's irritating your mucous membranes, the last thing you want it near is your eyes.
I think though if you are having this kind of reaction, it might be best to wear a mask when working it.
No shortage of masks about these days...... and it might not go amiss to be careful with your eyes around it too.
If it's irritating your mucous membranes, the last thing you want it near is your eyes.
I wouldn't work yew, as in sand it or produce dust, without wearing a mask. Mind, that's true of a lot of hardwoods. Just carving it, I wouldn't be worried at all.
There was a lot said at one time about the toxicity of holly and how it shouldn't be used for spoons that you eat with. To be honest, holly has been used for treen in Wales for centuries and there's nothing wrong with us
There was a lot said at one time about the toxicity of holly and how it shouldn't be used for spoons that you eat with. To be honest, holly has been used for treen in Wales for centuries and there's nothing wrong with us
I love working with Yew, never had a reaction or anything like that.
My only concern would be breathing dust in from things like sanding.
One of my old camp spots was under a yew tree and i'd climb up to cut off a dead branch to start whittling, think the last thing i made was my boker XS scales which were carved entirely with a mora knife and the a final sanding
My only concern would be breathing dust in from things like sanding.
One of my old camp spots was under a yew tree and i'd climb up to cut off a dead branch to start whittling, think the last thing i made was my boker XS scales which were carved entirely with a mora knife and the a final sanding
It is and all. I have a yew jewellery box. (I mean for that Iron Age person who loves bling. I dont wear the stuff).
And recently I laid my hands on an offcut of a plank. Not sure what to do with it.
Might make a good house name/number board.
And recently I laid my hands on an offcut of a plank. Not sure what to do with it.
Might make a good house name/number board.
Thanks for the replies everyone! I’ve been wearing a mask and gloves for 99% if the time it was just an initial rubbing and itching but glad to know it’s not going to be the end of me. I’m in New Zealand and we don’t really have yew here so it’s very new to me, I sourced it special for this project. It’s lovely timber to carve with though
While yew is toxic (all of the tree apart from the berry flesh), its only toxic if ingested (including inhaling dust to a lesser extent)) Generally safe with carving. It works ok for utensils so long as its sealed properly with a non toxic oil or similar.
There are some woods whose splinters can be toxic, and others like oleander with toxic leaves and the smoke of which shouldn’t be inhaled when burning, def not to be used for cooking. Have heard of someone’s dog being ill because they were chewing a yew branch because the owner didn’t recognize the tree it was taken from.
Typically love spoons are not used for eating. I admit that I would not be keen to use a yew spoon for stirring tea or soup.
Looks like boiling the wood in a mixture of non polar solvents (ethers, ketones) might leach most taxines out but I don't know if that is a safe bet. That treatment would make most woods more stable with moisture too.
I guess changing the wood would be safer.
That trick of using acetone treatment on woods was told me by a professor in wood chemistry some tens of years ago, apparently it has been known for ages but seldom used.
I guess changing the wood would be safer.
That trick of using acetone treatment on woods was told me by a professor in wood chemistry some tens of years ago, apparently it has been known for ages but seldom used.
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