However, some authorities claim that the Marblewood tree is at risk due to habitat loss and overharvesting. It is hard to know how severe these stresses are, if they actually exist, as the most frequently referenced conservation bodies do not speak to the status of Marblewood at all.
I purchased the pieces of Marblewood that I have in stock long before I was aware that there might be any over-exploitation or concern about the future of species. Perhaps the lack of knowledge concerning tropical wood species was a benefit of being new to the hobby of wood turning.
Ideally, the loss of a species is slowed or halted long before it becomes necessary to include it in the CITES Appendices, and I am hopeful that Marblewood will never appear on the lists of restricted woods, regardless of whether I would choose to work with it again, but rather because I hate to see any species pushed into threatened status
I also 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. I am also very confident that the vendor from whom I purchased my stocks of Marblewood sourced their material legally and responsibly. In part because I am concerned about legally and responsibly obtained exotic wood, I am reluctant to buy from sellers outside of well-established and known vendors. I am highly unlikely, for example, to purchase exotic 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.
It 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
There are no known or reported adverse health effects associated with the use of Marblewood. However, the standard risks posed by prolonged and repeated exposure to dust from any wood species also exists with Marblewood and steps should be taken to avoid prolonged dust exposure. In addition, appropriate protective equipment is always recommended when working with this, or any other, exotic wood, unless you have worked with the species before and are certain you are not sensitive to it.
Complete information about health hazards associated with a wide variety of exotic hardwoods is available from The Wood Database. Additional information about how to best use a dust collection system and personal protective equipment, such as respirators, can also be found through this excellent and comprehensive resource.
Fortunately, I have experienced no negative side effects when working with Marblewood.
My Personal Experiences
The first thing I noticed about the Marblewood bowl blank I was working with, when I cut it on the band saw, was that not only was it hard and therefore slow to cut, but it also had a tendency to splinter along the cut lines. This tendency was not a marked as with Wenge, but it was notable.