Nigerian Ebony was the staple West African Ebony for years. When it ran out, Gabon Ebony became the next best Ebony available from West Africa. We are extremely fortunate to have obtained a very small amount of this! Furthermore, it is dry and ready to use.
From equatorial West Africa, Nigerian Ebony is usually found in wet lowlands near rivers and swamps. Devoid of color, Nigerian Ebony has ink black with lighter streaks. Only a small percentage of Ebony (three to five percent) produce the highest quality jet black material. Most logs contain 50-70% sapwood with deep heart checks and voids in the heart with fall off of 80-90%. Ebony is hard and costly to produce, which makes it a rare species to obtain. It is difficult to work, glues satisfactorily, and has a tendency to want to split, but takes a really nice polish that makes it worth the work. Ebony is a treasured hardwood that was used by the Egyptian Pharaohs over 3,000 years ago. Diospyrus crassiflora.
