Thread: Solomons Ebony

Xanthostemon melanoxylon - the one only found in a few areas in Gao and SE Choiseul - oh well that's only on the protected species list, so that should be ok then.

Hi Graeme
Jusr give me a quick call on 07 3392 7111 if you want more, as I post it all over the world. let me know the size you require and I can give you further tips about the timber, as well as ways of speeding up the oxidising and minimising the cracks as you've already worked out. other than that if you want you can send me an email on sitco australia's website.

Cheers
Brian

Originally Posted by graemet

Thanks Gavin, I had come to that conclusion myself. I'll give it another go soon - have to get some more ebony first.
Cheers
Graeme

This species' botanical name is "Xanthostemon Melanoxylon"
It grows on my mothers land (Ysabel Province) and we have been in discussion over the last 12 months with FSC Australia to find ways of getting certification to prove that our harvesting methods are sustainable and be accepted internationaly.

This is not a typical tree which you can replant because it doesn't regenerate by seedling or flowering. it reproduces after a fire has been through and when the mother tree dies, sucklings start shooting up all around the mother tree (some call these suckers) it only regrows after a fire has been through. Fire starts from lightning as the soil it grows on has high levels of minerals which attracts the lightning. only few shrubs and grass grows in the area. The areas in which these trees grow is uninhabitable because of the high mineral content in the soils.

Unfortunately hand carvings are not a worlwide maketable product on a scale that would benefit everyone. Sales from this timber has dramaticaly lifted the quality of life for local landowners and their families. Children are obtaining a better education because school fees can now be met.

The tree is an endemic species (meaning very rare), and NOT an endangered species there for it is not listed on the CITES.

What you have stated Diospros insularis maybe true, that I am unsure of, so I will not comment, as this species does not grow on my mother's home Island

This species I am dealing with, I call it Solomon Queen Ebony (because it is comparible to african Ebony or as others have put it back home "mother of all ebonies") and often with the woodwind manufacturers around world I call it "Pacific Blackwood" because of comparible properties with the mpingo/ African Blackwood.

It never fails to amaze me how some people are willing to post comments on forums like this without doing their proper research. Please have a read through our website on www.sitcoaustralia.com.au

What parts of the Solomons have you been to (apart from Honiara)?

Cheers
Brian

Originally Posted by Gunnaduit

Hate to tell you guys, but Solomon Islands ebony, aka Diospros insularis, is listed by CITES as a species recorded as globally threatened as a result of population decline
through exploitation.

When the islanders cut it, usually for tourist carvings, they don't replant it. Poor buggers aren't even value-adding by carving it now, it seems.

Why I know, I lived there for years and I'm an ethnobotanist (I study plants used by indigenous people).

Bugotu and San Jorge in Ysabel
Siruka Bay and Suri in Choisel

Originally Posted by Gunnaduit

Xanthostemon melanoxylon - the one only found in a few areas in Gao and SE Choiseul - oh well that's only on the protected species list, so that should be ok then.

Brian,

I for one - can only speak for myself - appreciate your comments. I have never been to the Solomon Islands but I have travelled extensively elsewhere and believe that sensible harvesting of limited resources in a way that benefits local communities is the best that we can hope for in the real world.

Brian, good luck and all the best with your and your family's venture.
Will the tree grow from cuttings taken from the sucklings?
Cheers

I have used it for a number of projects and quite like it. Not good for deep hollowing but it can be done but excellent for spindle work. As for the cracks, they dont worry me. Fill them with sawdust and ca glue and they will look like part of the timber's natural figure. Below is one of the first pieces I made from the wood which by the time I got to had checked quite a lot.

Hi
majority of the trees we have harvested are the very old trees and have suckers all around them (from 5cm dia to 2.5meters in dia). It is very hard to work out which ones the suckers come from as the forest of tubi (xanthostemon Melanoxylon) is extremely thick and will always have about 5-8 dead ones in between.

I am uncertain whether a young sucker will come out as a result of cutting down a live one. Locals believe it does, but Iam am unsure. only time will tell as we have only been harvesting this species over the last 2 yrs,

We are now harvesting only the dead trees, but Jees!!!!! thats now bloody hard to cut. We are doing this mainly because the dead ones are more dryer and also to control the cracking when shifting timbers from outer islands to the capital. When we cut our very first container, the timber looked beautiful, I started to freak out why it started to crack when I got to Honiara with them (This was due to the fact that the Hulls of the ship was very dry and it was drying the timbers too quickly and started to crack plus no sealers was put on the timber to ease the drying), by the time I opened the container here in Brisbane I WAS HORRIFIED to learn the every single piece had cracked on the surface hahaha (due to containers up and down of tempretures whilst in transit) I then had to resize everything to get the cracks out and lost about 50-60% of our stock. By the time I went back for our second container, I was more prepared with the knowledge I had and learnt of why the crackings had accured and how I would over come it. (also thanks very much for info that was given to me by Terry McGee: an Irish flute maker NSW & Gerard: Gillet guitars NSW of experiences they had with gidgee). second time round we lost about 25-30% because I was late in passing info back. We're now on our third and is improving dramaticaly. we now have to sort out the shatters or internal cracks from the trees landing on the ground. We are now waiting for big rains to come first to soften the ground before dropping the trees (dead ones)

We are monitoring and recording everything we do to improve our techniques. Locals love being directly involved in 1. harvesting methods 2. improving our safety mesaure 3. have a say in the operations and 4. we are there for the long haul and not just to make a quick buck. Chinese, Taiwanese, Koreans, Japanese and Even some NewZealanders have been there trying to extract it out of the Solomons, I am very lucky to have my suppliers very loyal to us as they know that they wll benefit greatly by sticking with someone who will will stick by them and by being their first plus a huge bonus of being related

I have gathered info on the web, as well as from locals. there really isn't much known about this species. As I have progressed I keep learing more and more along side with the locals and cutters. Every other tree you fell especially Merbau/Kwila, a red liquid flows out of the tree from where it has been cut. It is an awful and saddening sight, as it looks very much like its bleeding to death. The locals and cutters laugh at me because of my reaction to it!! However with the xanthostemon Melanoxylon; There is absolutely no fluid comming out from a live tree when it is dropped. Right at the bottom where the core is you can feel little moist there. I suspect because the tree is mostly around 30-40meters in height. It absorbs moisture through its bark, as the forest is exteremely humid. There is no way because of its density I believe water can travel up the trunk, but again I could be wrong

I have been doing presentations on all the woodworing clubs up here (QLD) about this species, and often they ask me to go in for 1/2 hr. which always turn to 1 & half to 2hrs. I enjoy this the most as I like telling people about the islands, its people and how we've come about and of course the species.

Cheers
Brian

Originally Posted by GoGuppy

Brian, good luck and all the best with your and your family's venture.
Will the tree grow from cuttings taken from the sucklings?
Cheers

Originally Posted by brendan stemp

I have used it for a number of projects and quite like it. Below is one of the first pieces I made from the wood which by the time I got to had checked quite a lot.

Hi Brendan
That is one absolutely gorgeous bowl
Cheers

Hi Brian
Thanks for sharing the above with us, good to see the local community involvement.
Let us know if you ever do any presentations in Sydney!!
Cheers