The Draw of Ebony Wood??

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I like what I see, in this thread. :thumbup:

Not one who owns anything in this material, How does Ebony hold up to water? As in, water soaked pockets, working outside in rain or a wet snow storm and clean up under a faucet.
 
555 said:
I like what I see, in this thread. :thumbup:

Not one who owns anything in this material, How does Ebony hold up to water? As in, water soaked pockets, working outside in rain or a wet snow storm and clean up under a faucet.
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It should hold up exceptionally well, I have used ebony handled knives for many years, fishing, in salt water environments,cleaning after with soapy water and faucet rinse...they took it well. I also have restored many Buck folding hunters that were used hard and put away wet. Most came back like new with just a light sanding and buff. For constant wet use you may try an automotive wax, carnauba,on the wood, but personally I have not found the need.
 
555 said:
Not one who owns anything in this material, How does Ebony hold up to water? As in, water soaked pockets, working outside in rain or a wet snow storm and clean up under a faucet.
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I haven't had any problems with mine in my sweaty pockets during the summertime or from being out in the woods in the rain. Washing in the sink has had no effect on it either.

If you didn't see it in my earlier post, there was a link to a thread that Kerry Hampton started about some knives that had been underwater.

dannyp said:
I remembered a thread from a while back about some knives that were recovered after being underwater. It is seriously impressive how well the ebony held up.
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dannyp said:
I've mentioned it before, but to me ebony knives have a timeless look regardless of when they were made. Even though it may not be flashy, the simple classy appearance is perfect for a small gentleman's folder. At the same time it is durable enough for a robust work knife like a Cattle Knife or a Trapper. It really just goes well with any pattern. I also agree that it's nicer in person than how it looks in pictures.

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I remembered a thread from a while back about some knives that were recovered after being underwater. It is seriously impressive how well the ebony held up.
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sitflyer said:
It should hold up exceptionally well, I have used ebony handled knives for many years, fishing, in salt water environments,cleaning after with soapy water and faucet rinse...they took it well. I also have restored many Buck folding hunters that were used hard and put away wet. Most came back like new with just a light sanding and buff. For constant wet use you may try an automotive wax, carnauba,on the wood, but personally I have not found the need.
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dannyp said:
I haven't had any problems with mine in my sweaty pockets during the summertime or from being out in the woods in the rain. Washing in the sink has had no effect on it either.

If you didn't see it in my earlier post, there was a link to a thread that Kerry Hampton started about some knives that had been underwater.
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Thanks for the insight/help/replies. :thumbup:

And am now, giving ebony a second look to add to the collection and as a working EDC.

Also thanks for bringing attention to this link I overlooked. A very cool read. :cool: Thanks.
 
I like Macassar ebony as opposed to traditional. It has just a bit more character than uniform black. My suggestion to budding knife makers and those who like to mod is to check out guitar building sites. You can source ebony fingerboards for around $30 that make nice scales or spacers and a standard fingerboard slab should yield enough blanks for several knives.

confucius37 said:
Most people prefer the darker wood, but sometimes I do like it when they have a lighter streak in them. My #72 for example has one and I really like it.

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I am still on the hunt for an older jack knife with dark ebony scales and federal shield however. It's one of those must haves for me that I can't seem to find.
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The Macassar ebony on this old Gerber has been used and abused for probably 30 years and still looks new. The brass and steel? Not so much.:D
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The synthetic version of ebony is Delrin (a very popular cover material). Modern "high end" plastic bagpipes are made of Delrin because they sound like their ebony eqivalent. Bagpipe drones and chanter are traditionally made out of ebony. Ebony is a very dense and musical wood - if it speaks to you as a knife cover ... its probably really speaking to you. :thumbup:
 
I don't think I have posted my Landers, Fray & Clark jack to this thread yet. Here it is, love the grain of the ebony.

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Yes they are. It's very durable and beautiful wood, will resist damp very well indeed and I think is tougher than say Bocote, Snakewood or even Coco.

Much less prone to warp or shrink/crack than other wood in my experience. Has a long future....
 
Wish I was a better photographer! The only knife I've ever had engraved ... it's going with me when I'm (eventually) buried at sea - my kids can fight over what's left. Ebony is a fantastic wood for knife covers - it just gets more character as it ages.

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Texture, density, durability and feel in the hand. Ebony has it like nothing else. Fairly close grained and usually straight grained, possibly it's only flaw is in lacking much visual interest. The best qualities of ebony can't be photographed, they have to be felt and experienced.
 
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