Ebony, Gabon

From equatorial Africa, Ebony is usually found in wet lowlands near rivers and swamps. Devoid of color, Ebony is ink black with lighter streaks. Only a small percentage of Ebony (three to five percent) produce the highest quality jet black color. Most pieces 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.
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