Ebony is the blackest of all known woods, the heartwood is usually black although sometimes with gray or brown striping. Very dense and hard with straight to slightly interlocked grain and a very fine even texture.

BOTANICAL NAME:

ORIGIN:

West Africa – Primarily located near the equator

COMMON NAMES:

Kanran, Kukuo, Mgiriti, Msindi, Nyareti, Omenowa

JANKA HARDNESS:

3220

DIMENSIONAL STABILITY:

Information currently unavailable

RELATIVE ABUNDANCE:

Information currently unavailable

INTERESTING FACTS:

Not all species of wood floats in water. In order to sink in water the specific gravity of the wood must be 1.00 or more. Ebony has an average specific gravity of 1.03 and therefore will not float in water.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

The sapwood of Ebony, when freshly cut, displays a pink coloring which will darken to a red brown over time. The heartwood, however, shows the more popular coloring of ebony which is jet black. This species has a fine texture with varying grain patterns ranging from straight to curly. When finished the luster of this wood can appear almost metallic.

COLOR CHANGE:

Information currently unavailable

MAIN USES:

Ebony’s most well known use can be found in piano keys. However, in addition to this, Ebony wood can be used for flooring, cutlery, tool handles, decorative wood works and turnery.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:

Ebony’s durability is characterized by its hardness, weight, and stability, all of which are ranked extremely high among all wood species. Ebony wood has a considerable resistance to termites. Prolonged exposure to the sawdust can cause dermatitis.

WORKING PROPERTIES:

Due to its relative hardness, Ebony wood is notorious for its dulling effect on tools. This wood is difficult to work with both hand and machine tools. Pre-boring holes for nails and screws is the recommended method if nailing or screwing is required, due to the hardness and density rating.