Please explain ebony?

[harry strasil]

old time formula for ebony substitue, dissolve some nails in Vinegar then soak some kind of hardwood in the solution. FWIW

[Eddie Darby]

Anyone try the sponsor of this page yet?

KJP Select Hardwoods.

http://www.kjpselecthardwoods.com/

Should thank them for sponsoring the SMC forum.

Thanks!

[Kevin Brenton]

Yes -you are right on the first three. I am not sure about Mexican-if it is not a Diospyros then it is not Ebony.... Macassar is also an ebony aka Indian Ebony (Diospyros celebica)
African Blackwood is one of several Rosewoods. Not to be mentioned in the same breath as Australian Blackwood (. Then their is Indian Rosewood which is Dalbergia latifolia....
Then there is PNG Rosewood-which is Pterocarpus indicus-not a dalbergia and therefore not a Rosewood....Quite confusing but very interesting they all are.

Also ,not widely know is Australian Ebony, Diospyros compacta ,
It grows in my local area .I have seen logs cut from one local tree that are very black and quite weighty but with some slightly lighter streaks through it.It also has a creamy white sapwood .

The fellow who showed me the wood promised to identify to me the tree that he got it from ,but I haven't been able to pin him down for a definite time for a look see.He had six or seven logs around 8" diameter and two feet long.
He also told me as the branches on the tree die ,the white sapwood rots away leaving the black heartwood.
The trees around my area tremble when I drive past as I'm always looking closely to see if one is the tree I'm looking for.
Hope fully after the monsoon season is finished I can get out and harvest some of this timber.

Kev

[philip marcou]

"Also ,not widely know is Australian Ebony, Diospyros compacta ,"
Send me a small piece, and I will make it widely known. Something in the order of 30inch diameter by say 6feet with minimal sap wood would do.