Black wood?

H

HKG36

Joined
Oct 14, 2003
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129
Im no wood expert as you can tell. But is there such thing as a wood that is naturally black?
 
I believe ebony would fit that description.there could be others.
I have a svord bird and trout and the handle is black marie but it certainly isn't black only small black streaks in the wood.
 
There is an African wood that is called Blackwood and there is Ebony. The Ebony often has some dark brown in it but can be mostly black.
 
Gaboon ebony is the closest thing you will find to a pure black wood. It is what is used for the black keys on a high end piano.

African blackwood is not solid black. It has quite a bit of dark brown in it.

Here is a photo of Gaboon ebony.

ebony_gab.jpg
 
My Bagpipes are made with "African Blackwood" which is actually dark brown.Ebony is much closer to black in color but will crack quicker than the "African Blackwood".Has something to do with density/oil retention,etc.tom. :confused:
 
Ebony often has gray/brown streaks through it. The streaks indicate that the wood is very hard, and ebony with streaks is often stained black to get a uniform color. Don’t ever get ebony stain on yourself: it is very hard to get off.
 
I have a couple blocks of Gabon ebony ready to cut into knife handle blanks that are absolutely pitch black, not a hint of brown. I also have some antique slipjoints with very nice solid black ebony. As noted above, African blackwood is frequently brown but I have seen some all-black examples. I have a block of it that is almost as black as most of the Gabon ebony that I have seen.

Although Macassar ebony is known for the golden brown/black striping, I have seen some examples that have significant amounts of pure black with a little brown marbling.
 
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