Why is ebony expensive?
The most expensive and prized Black Wood only comes from Black Ebony trees that are 150 years old or more. Almost all the marketable trees were harvested long ago and the few that are left are in danger of being poached.
Price: Fine Ebony will command a price of up to $10,000 per kilogram. Impressive almost-black Ebony wood is harvested from several species of trees of the genus Diospyros that grows throughout the Tropics.
Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus Diospyros, which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when polished, making it valuable as an ornamental wood.
Ebony is the wood of a tropical tree found in Africa and parts of Asia, especially Ceylon and India. The distinctly black heartwood has been prized for musical instruments, fine furniture, canes, chess sets, and other ornamental purposes for thousands of years.
Topping the list of most expensive woods in the world is Bocote, a flowering plant from the borage family that is mostly found in Mexico, Central and South America. Initially a yellow/brown shade, this wood darkens over time. It has a fragrant smell and is usually used for furniture and flooring.
Sequoia has attained the status of the most expensive wood in the world, costing up to €1500 per cubic metre. The tree, named in honour of the Cherokee chief Sequoyah, is an emblem of the United States. Its habitat is found almost exclusively in North America, more specifically on the coasts of California and Oregon.
| Thickness | Grade | Price Per BF |
|---|---|---|
| 4/4 | Select & Better | $125.00 |
| 4/4 | Unselected | $100.00 |
| 8/4 | Premium | $150.00 |
| 8/4 | Select & Better | $125.00 |
How tall do the ebony trees grow and how long does it take them to reach maturity? Ebony trees take about 100+ years to grow to a large, tall size of 50 feet.
Traditionally, hardwoods such as Ebony, Rosewood and Maple have been the materials most often used for the construction of fretboards. They are dense, strong timbers, resistant to warping and durable enough to withstand the wear and tear imparted over many years from our hands and guitar strings.
Ebony (Diospyros ebenum), also known as Indian Ebony or Ceylon Ebony, is a tree in the genus Diospyros, native to southern India and Sri Lanka. It is noted for its heavy, (initially) black, fine-grained heartwood.
How durable is ebony?
Ebony is exceptionally dense, hard, and durable. It has high resistance to attack by termites and an incredible ability to resist any sort of rot. In terms of lifespan, products made with ebony can last a lifetime, providing they are properly cared for.
Ebony is a dense black hardwood, most commonly yielded by several different species in the genus Diospyros, which also contains the persimmons. Ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely-textured and has a very smooth finish when polished, making it valuable as an ornamental wood.
Ebony is a very dark black color, or a south Asian tropical tree with hard, dark-colored heartwood. Black piano keys and black chess pieces are often made with ebony.
Royal Ebony is an extremely hard, dense, and heavy wood, with a very fine texture. It is excellent for wood turning and carving, as well as inlays, tool and knife handles, door knobs, piano and organ keys, and instrument wood. Royal Ebony takes an excellent polish. Tropical Hardwood.
Ebony is one the very few wood species that does not float on water, but sinks to the bottom. It is heavy, dense and has superior bend strength as compared to any other wood species.
Agarwood is the world's rarest and the most expensive variety of wood to be sold. According to Business Insider, one kilogram of agarwood can cost as much as $1,00,000 or Rs. 73,00,000.
- Baraúna: 4,800 lbf(21,000 N)
- Quebracho: 4,570 lbf(20,340 N)
- Guayacan: 4,500 lbf(20,000 N)
- Gidgee: 4,270 lbf(18,990 N)
- Snakewood: 3,800 lbf(17,000 N)
- Verawood: 3,710 lbf (16,520 N)
- Camelthorn: 3,680 lbf(16,370 N)
- African Blackwood: 3,670 lbf (16,320 N)
Most types of cedar wood are a pinkish-red color, though it can have some purple tones as well. As it ages it loses its reddish hues and becomes a silver or gray color.
Trees can live anywhere from less than 100 years to more than a few thousand years depending on the species. However, one species in particular outlives them all. The Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva) has been deemed the oldest tree in existence, reaching an age of over 5,000 years old.
- It is an endangered species because its lumber is great for musical instruments and fine furniture. ...
- It is also called the Chilean Pine and is the national tree of the country.
- It is estimated to be over 2,200 years old and weighs an estimated 747 airplanes.
Is ebony still available?
Today, black ebony is being used to create chess pieces and instrument parts. However, this wood can be difficult to obtain, as many of its species are now considered threatened. Still, with responsible harvesting practices in place, ebony wood is still available.
It is not a common tree in natural forests, usually found alone or in a small group of 2 or 3 trees. It is harvested by selective logging throughout its natural range, and the wood is considered the true commercial ebony from Africa.
The density of these beings has reduced drastically due to continuous exploitation. This wood has been harvested unsustainably by industrialised nations, which is what has led to a shortage of ebony not just in India, but across the world.
Unlike jet-black, ebony is characterized by brown and, in some cases, olive undertones. Not surprisingly and as its use in piano keys suggests, combine ebony with white for a classic and timeless color palette. Like black, however, ebony gives a sense of seriousness, elegance, and prestige.
The fruit is edible for humans; its flavor has been described as lemon-like, with a chalky consistency when unripe, and sweet fleshy when ripe.
Janka Hardness: 3220
Ebony is an incredibly hard and durable wood flooring choice. It is over two thirds harder than merbau, is roughly one hundred and twenty-two percent harder than hard maple, over ninety-seven percent harder than wenge, and just over forty-six percent harder than santos mahogany's ranking of 2200.
Any surface to be ebonized must be carefully prepped beforehand, sanding, raising the grain, and sanding again (up to 320 grit) until it is polished. Ebonizing is only skin deep and you can sand, plane, or scrape through it if you're not careful.
Ebony was a special wood which was greatly valued by the ancient Egyptians. Ebony trees grew in places south of Egypt, and were brought into Egypt through tribute and trade. The ancient Egyptians used ebony to make special furniture such as chairs, boxes, and couches for the pharaoh.
Because it's so dense, it takes a long time to dry out properly, and it has to be dried slowly and carefully. This is why ebony is notorious for having cracking problems. If the board is dried too quickly, or isn't fully dried evenly, and you make it into a fingerboard, it may shrink and seriously crack.
Similar Woods
In addition to African blackwood, which is also an expensive wood, other naturally dark woods exist that woodworkers substitute for ebony. These include katalox and wenge, both dark brown woods that are quite costly.
What does the name ebony mean?
Girl. Greek, English. From the English word, meaning "black wood". Originally from the Greek word ebenos. Ebony is a dark-wooded tree.
We usually think of ebony as a black wood. Only the interior heartwood is black – the outer sapwood is light in color. Most dark woods have similar color schemes, like walnut. The color of ebony heartwood varies from dark brown to black, depending on the species and growing conditions.
Ebony is a slightly lighter shade than Jacobean. Jacobean has a little more brown to it than Ebony. Out of all of the other comparisons, Ebony and Jacobean are the two closest in color.
Meier's own list ranks quebracho, with a Janka score of 4,570 lbf, as the hardest wood in the world. Quebracho is found in Paraguay and Argentina.
Many wood types are black, including the most common ebony (hardwood) and African blackwood (harder but less dense than Ebony). Other types of wood with at least a hint of black include ironwood, black palm, bog oak, Brazilian rosewood, and various types of blackwood and ebony.
Indian ebony is a tree occurring in southern India and Sri Lanka. It is best known for being one of the trees that yield ebony. The wood of this tree is called Ceylon Ebony or India Ebony, but often simply called "ebony". It is a medium-sized evergreen, reaching 20-25 m tall.
Ebony Fretboard
Most maple fretboards will be varnished, whereas rosewood and ebony are typically raw, or unvarnished, wood. If your fretboard is varnished, then good news – you never need to worry about oiling your fretboard.
Wood products
Lignum vitae is hard and durable, and is also the densest wood traded (average dried density: ~79 lbs/ft3 or ~1,260 kg/m3); it will easily sink in water.
African Blackwood is the most expensive wood in the world.
Although it shares characteristics with African ebony, African blackwood is a different species. The wood is a very popular choice for making musical instruments, but over-harvesting threatens that practice.
| Thickness | Grade | Price Per BF |
|---|---|---|
| 4/4 | Select & Better | $125.00 |
| 4/4 | Unselected | $100.00 |
| 8/4 | Premium | $150.00 |
| 8/4 | Select & Better | $125.00 |
Why black wood is so expensive?
African Blackwood is found in 26 countries in central and southern Africa. It takes 70-100 years for these trees to attain timber size. The trees are prematurely pruned due to illegal trafficking of timber in countries like Kenya and Tanzania. This has drastically reduced the number of blackwoods, making them rare.
Ebony is a very dark black color, or a south Asian tropical tree with hard, dark-colored heartwood. Black piano keys and black chess pieces are often made with ebony.
Gaboon ebony is believed to be the blackest wood that grows.
Unlike jet-black, ebony is characterized by brown and, in some cases, olive undertones. Not surprisingly and as its use in piano keys suggests, combine ebony with white for a classic and timeless color palette. Like black, however, ebony gives a sense of seriousness, elegance, and prestige. Looking for a different hue?
Colors similar to ebony
Try some of these beauties: Eggplant (#614051) Charcoal (#36454F) Chambray (#475877)