Palo Fiero... been to Mexico?

[redfishsc]

My wife and I went to a quaint, quiet town in Mexico called Morelos on a mission trip back in January.

On the way back across the border at Peidras Negras (ie, Eagle Pass Texas once you cross), we bought a few "carvings" for some friends back home.

I recognized the wood immediately as Desert Ironwood. I asked the woman in my broken spanish what the wood was called, and she said "Palo Fiero". Just in case anyone had heard of palo fiero, yes, it's DI.

Palo Fiero just means "fierce wood". That's the truth-- fierce as anything I've ever met on my allergies and sinuses. Even with a mask.


I also noticed there a handful of music "sticks" made of cocobolo- I forget what they call the sticks but you just clonk them together and the coco makes a very nice sound if you have rhythm. I don't[B)]

 

[MesquiteMan]

Actually, Fierro (with rr)is the spanish word for Iron, at least here in TexMex! I speak good contruction spanish since I am a home builder here in Texas and fierro is the word for iron or steel. I have seen Palo Fierro many times. You are correct thought, that Fiero is the spanish word for fierce, at least according to google translation! Most times I have seen it as palo fierro, though.

 

[el_d]

Hey Curtis, exactly where around these parts have you seen the "Palo Fierro".[}]

 

[Rudy Vey]

Curtis is right, Fierro, is a Mexican word for Iron. In Mexico, there are two words for iron: Fierro and Hierro, never figured out which one is the proper term, but it seems that hierro is the more correct word, but fierro is more commonly used . I have seen many carvings in this wood in Mexico.

 

[redfishsc]

Ah. I mised the second r in fierro. (there's a pun there lok closely).


OK, so Palo fierro isn't so much fierce as it is steel. Makes more sense now.

Madera is the typical word for wood, at least with the mexicans I've worked with. I wonder if there is a distinction between "palo" and "madera".

Now I need to ask the spanish prof at the college.

 

[LostintheWoods]

BTW, the "music sticks" of cocobolo that you referred to are called "Claves".

 

[el_d]

Madera is wood, Palo is "stick" but can be used for "tree" kinda mexican Slang......
Iron is Fierro and Steel is Acero.

 

[redfishsc]

Does anyone know what region of Mexico you find cocobolo? I've asked a pile of mexicans if they had ever heard of cocobolo (which almost sounds spanish) and they had not.

I was wondering what they called it.

 

[sbell111]

When I got out of grad school, I had a little red palo fiero. It was a fun little car until some woman T-boned it right in the back wheel.