african ebony burl ???

[smiife]

Hi guys , Is there such a thing as african ebony burl ?
I bought some ebony awhile back and needed a small finial
to finish a project , so I cut a piece up and thought it looked
a bit light in a few places , it looked almost like marble in places.
Anyway thought I would ask if anyone else has seen this type of
African Ebony before .......

[Luke Maddux]

I don't know enough about it to answer your question, but whatever it is it's pretty fantastic.

[bdar]

I think it may be macassar ebony.

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[Gabriel]

Got no idea about the burl question but as like said...nanaxijg piece of timber!!
I have done maccassar ebony and it is certainly two toned but quite a bit darker than this

Thanks fir showing us

[smiife]

I don't know enough about it to answer your question, but whatever it is it's pretty fantastic.

Hi luke , thank you .......


I think it may be macassar ebony.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Bdar , yeah , hadn, t thought of macassar ebony , thank you ....


Got no idea about the burl question but as like said...nanaxijg piece of timber!!
I have done maccassar ebony and it is certainly two toned but quite a bit darker than this

Thanks fir showing us

Hi gab , yeah, I think the pic may be a bit light , so you might be right !
Thanks for your thoughts..........

[Richard Hodsdon]

Hi smiife
We have two trees called African Ebony , firstly the Gabon Ebony (Diospyros crassiflora this is the typical very dark black wood from the West African rain Forests . Then there is Jackalberry (Diospyros mespiliformis) which you get in the northern parts of south Africa and Namibia and north. Wood is dark reddish brown .
Your piece looks like neither (the light streaks) but more like Macassar Ebony ( Diospyros celebica)
Here any black wood is called by the locals as Black Wood or ebony whether it is Dalbergia Melanoxyn or a Diospyros species and the timber merchants are just as ignorant.
Whatever the timber you have done justice to the piece.
Richard

[smiife]

Hi smiife
We have two trees called African Ebony , firstly the Gabon Ebony (Diospyros crassiflora this is the typical very dark black wood from the West African rain Forests . Then there is Jackalberry (Diospyros mespiliformis) which you get in the northern parts of south Africa and Namibia and north. Wood is dark reddish brown .
Your piece looks like neither (the light streaks) but more like Macassar Ebony ( Diospyros celebica)
Here any black wood is called by the locals as Black Wood or ebony whether it is Dalbergia Melanoxyn or a Diospyros species and the timber merchants are just as ignorant.
Whatever the timber you have done justice to the piece.
Richard

Hi Richard , thanks for the Information , very interesting , just looks
like a burl too me , and had never seen ebony burl , and wondered
If there was such a thing ...........

[dai sensei]

I have 9 species of Ebony (or so called) but no burl. Can't see why Ebony trees couldn't have burls, I have seen others claiming they have some, so yours could well be.

Having said that, burls are more likely on Rosewoods, so if African maybe it's African Blackwood Burl (Dalbergia melanoxylon)

[Richard Hodsdon]

Hi Neil
It is not African Blackwood. The lighter sapwood is white not the yellow of smiife's piece. As you said can't see why Ebony trees wouldn't have burls. But it would probably be infested with ants/insects and discarded as rubbish wood and left on the forest floor. It wouldn't be recognized as as usable for planks or carvings so dumped.

Richard

[Ironwood]

I have seen this mob selling what they describe as Ebony Burl before. They have a listing at the moment for Phillipine Ebony Burl
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Philippine-Ebony-Burl-Hybrid-Knife-Scales-Grips-Reel-Seat-Turning-Wood-PHL505/233191472408?hash=item364b4b7d18:g:pykAAOSw~5ZcWTVI

[dai sensei]

Hi Neil
It is not African Blackwood. The lighter sapwood is white not the yellow of smiife's piece. As you said can't see why Ebony trees wouldn't have burls. But it would probably be infested with ants/insects and discarded as rubbish wood and left on the forest floor. It wouldn't be recognized as as usable for planks or carvings so dumped.

Richard

Dumped :cry4:

[smiife]

I have 9species of Ebony (or so called) but no burl. Can't see why Ebony trees couldn't have burls, I have seen others claiming they have some, so yours could well be.

Having said that, burls are more likely on Rosewoods, so if African maybe it's African Blackwood Burl (Dalbergia melanoxylon)

Hi Neil , thanks for thoughts and Info , it was bought as african ebony


Hi Neil
It is not African Blackwood. The lighter sapwood is white not the yellow of smiife's piece. As you said can't see why Ebony trees wouldn't have burls. But it would probably be infested with ants/insects and discarded as rubbish wood and left on the forest floor. It wouldn't be recognized as as usable for planks or carvings so dumped.

Richard

Thanks Richard , I couldn, t Imagine dumping ebony:no:


I have seen this mob selling what they describe as Ebony Burl before. They have a listing at the moment for Phillipine Ebony Burl
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Philippine-Ebony-Burl-Hybrid-Knife-Scales-Grips-Reel-Seat-Turning-Wood-PHL505/233191472408?hash=item364b4b7d18:g:pykAAOSw~5ZcWTVI


Hi Ironwood , the blank was black on the outside with no Inclusion of colour
Wow , $75.00 for a pen blank......:o

[mick661]

I dont know what the timber is mate but that's a lovely piece of timber and final as well
Cheers Mick

[Ironwood]

Wow , $75.00 for a pen blank......:o
Well, with some careful cutting, you should get 2 :cool:

[ACACIA2]

Hi guys , Is there such a thing as african ebony burl ?I bought some ebony awhile back and needed a small finial to finish a project , so I cut a piece up and thought it lookeda bit light in a few places , it looked almost like marble in places.Anyway thought I would ask if anyone else has seen this type of African Ebony before .......Having said that --does not mean burls do not exist -- I simply cut the large dead trees (called leadwood or ironwood in Botswana)Here in Zululand. --- Combretum Imerberbe -----is smallish but still nice & shiny black ---here's a goblet I turned recently ---(if this foto attaches --what a mission !

[FenceFurniture]

Never seen a ebony burl ---in 68 years in zambia Yebbut be honest - you weren't really looking too hard for the first 8 or so years - coulda missed 2 or 3 in that time.....

I've heard that up to the early 1950s the odd one showed up :D

[smiife]

I dont know what the timber is mate but that's a lovely piece of timber and final as well
Cheers Mick

Hi Mick , thanks mate , you might get a better look soon :U


Well, with some careful cutting, you should get 2 :cool:

Very true Ironwood......:U


Having said that --does not mean burls do not exist -- I simply cut the large dead trees (called leadwood or ironwood in Botswana)Here in Zululand. --- Combretum Imerberbe -----is smallish but still nice & shiny black ---here's a goblet I turned recently ---(if this foto attaches --what a mission !


Hi Acacia , well , just have to keep looking mate !:U
Nice goblet too ! Well done .:2tsup:

[smiife]

Yebbut be honest - you weren't really looking too hard for the first 8 or so years - coulda missed 2 or 3 in that time.....

I've heard that up to the early 1950s the odd one showed up :D


Hi FF, yeah , that made me laugh........
Thought I might add a pic of the whole slab of African Ebony......
See the left side pure black and the right side has the "burl " .......