A significant problem with using Woodfinder is that many vendors are listed for woods that, upon further investigation, they do not offer. I don’t know if perhaps once they did and they didn’t update their listings or if some vendors use a standardized list of woods that include most everything conceivable with the idea that once you land on their page you will find something you want to buy even if you didn’t know it beforehand. It happens to me all the time!
Common Uses:
Camphor finds use as veneer, turned objects, chests, cabinetry, and furniture. Camphor is said to help slow the tarnishing of silver and to ward off moths. Camphor timber may be used in specially designed boxes and cabinets for storing silver and for protection from moths for this reason. Camphor is also cultivated for the harvest of the aromatic oils which find use in over-the-counter medications and aromatherapies.
Sustainability:
Camphor is not listed as being endangered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II nor does it appear on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
The closely related species Cinnamomum balansae from Vietnam, C. mercadoi from the Philippines, and C. osmophloeum from Taiwan are listed by the IUCN as vulnerable/endangered due to a population reduction of over 20% to 50% in the past three generations, caused by a decline in its natural range, and exploitation.
To the best of my knowledge, Camphor is not subject to any additional special restrictions by any United States government agency.
I realize that inherent in working with wood is the killing of a part of the natural world that may be slow to return and if I become deeply concerned about this fact, I will have to find a new hobby. I hope that such a time does not come to pass or at least not any time soon. In part because I am concerned about legally and responsibly obtained wood, I am reluctant to buy from sellers outside of well-established and known vendors. I am highly unlikely, for example, to purchase any wood from auction sites, such as Ebay, because of uncertain sourcing and documentation, as well as the potential, even likelihood, of material being misidentified in order to achieve a higher selling price.
However, due to the commercial scarcity of some woods, resorting to auction sites such as Ebay or Etsy may be the only way to obtain some desirable domestic, or in some cases exotic imported, species that are not routinely commercially harvested. The potential risks of buying in these marketplaces have to be balanced against the desire to work with a specific species of wood. That is inherently an individual decision.
I also realize that many, if not most, wood workers do not have endangered species lists memorized, therefore I think it worthwhile and important to do even a small amount of research before purchasing any lumber, domestic as well as imported, to be certain of the potential impact you are having, even in a small way, on threatened or endangered populations. This information is easy to come by and takes only minutes to locate through any Internet search engine, including those you can access on your phone as you are standing in the lumber yard or store. Unfortunately, you simply cannot count on a vendor to tell you a product they are selling is endangered.
Health Hazards:
In addition to the usual hazards posed by wood dust, it is important to note that Camphor has been reported to cause skin and respiratory irritation, as well as a number of other effects, such as headaches, giddiness, and asthma-like symptoms. As always, caution is essential until you are certain you are not sensitive to Camphor.