For 44 years, Tim Baker has been crafting bows for stringed instruments like violins and cellos. He knows how crucial the thin, supple strip of wood can be for musicians.

“Some people just use one bow their whole life,” said Baker said from his home in the United Kingdom.

“The bow is really their voice. The violin, you just have a string, and you put your fingers down. But the way the sound comes out all comes from the bow.”

But now his trade faces a threat from an unlikely source: conservationists and the Brazilian government.

The majority of high-end bows are made from brazilwood, also known as pernambuco.

Prized for its reddish hue and durability, brazilwood is beloved among musicians. Famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma described it as “without equal” when it comes to bows.

However, a proposa

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