In praise of ebony: Traditional knives in the prince of wood

black mamba said:
I have always like ebony's toughness and wear characteristics for a knife handle, but the solid black is just too plain looking for me. I have a couple sets of stabilized handle scales in black & white ebony, sawn two different ways to get different grain patterns. Will be putting these on a couple fixed blades this summer.

B-W_ebony1_zpsjbkkgo9i.jpg~original
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That's interesting - didn't even know ebony came in black & white.

Now you've given me something more to buy, as if I didn't have enough to keep me broke as it is! :p
 
PythonDR said:
That's interesting - didn't even know ebony came in black & white.

Now you've given me something more to buy, as if I didn't have enough to keep me broke as it is! :p
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It's the same genus (Diospyros) so it is an ebony wood, but black and white (or "Pale Moon") ebony is a different species from what people typically think of as ebony (Ceylon). Gaboon and Macassar are also different species in the genus, but they look more like the original.

The most surprising member of the Diospyros genus is Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana--sometimes called "White Ebony") but it makes sense why golf clubs were made with it back in the day.
 
Great thread. Ebony is by far my first and favorite handle material. It gives any modern folder a vintage look. When you seek out vintage knives it seems the ebony examples are in the best shape.
 
Biggie_Robs said:
It's the same genus (Diospyros) so it is an ebony wood, but black and white (or "Pale Moon") ebony is a different species from what people typically think of as ebony (Ceylon). Gaboon and Macassar are also different species in the genus, but they look more like the original.

The most surprising member of the Diospyros genus is Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana--sometimes called "White Ebony") but it makes sense why golf clubs were made with it back in the day.
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Persimmon is in the ebony family? I had no idea!

Where does African Blackwood fit into this - or does it?
 
PythonDR said:
Persimmon is in the ebony family? I had no idea!

Where does African Blackwood fit into this - or does it?
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I'm no expert but it looks like it's part of the Rosewood family like Cocobolo and Brazilian Rosewood per Wikipedia.

Relation to other woods

African Blackwood is no longer regarded as ebony, a name now reserved for a limited number of timbers yielded by the genus Diospyros; these are more of a matte appearance and are more brittle.
The genus Dalbergia yields other famous timbers such as Brazilian Rosewood (Dalbergia nigra), Dalbergia cearensis and cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa).
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And a few more GECs :) Here are 2 variations of #53s, 3 of the #66 pattern, and a #68 White Owl







 
Great thread, photos, and knives everyone. Really impressive and too many beauties to comment on.

This Empire is super black so I always thought it was Ebony but I see it listed as Cocobolo sometimes. Some of the rest are Blackwood, it is always hard for me to tell which ones.

Mike Latham and family SFO 85

GEC 15

Mike Latham and family SFO 77

GEC 78

Charlie Campagna SFO 77
 
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