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Ebony: a legendary wood!
Ebony - a legendary wood shrouded in myth
Does ebony ward off evil spirits?
Its extraordinary hardness and black color have made ebony the subject of many myths and legends. It was used to drive away evil spirits. Even drinking cups were made of ebony to protect the user from poisoning.
For craftsmen, there are different types of ebony trees that are native to arid regions in West Africa, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, South India, and Indonesia.
In the past, this exquisite wood was only available to artisans due to the nature of the material and its high cost. It has long been used for the finest carpentry, decorative items, crucifixes, and a variety of musical instruments.
A wood that doesn't float!
Ebony is one of the few types of wood that does not float on water but sinks to the bottom. It is heavy, dense, and has a higher bending strength than other types of wood. Ebony can be worked to an extremely smooth finish and is very durable. It is the only wood used for fingerboards that can withstand decades of wear and tear on violins and other fretless instruments. While an instrument with frets does not need such an extremely wear-resistant wood, ebony has unique properties that make it a fantastic material for fingerboards and other parts of instruments.
Ebony is completely black, right?
Many types of ebony are threatened with extinction due to unsustainable harvesting. In Africa, for example, most of the native ebony has been illegally logged over the last few centuries. However, there is an even sadder reason for the endangerment of ebony. Uninformed users believe that ebony is black, but that is not the reality. In truth, only a small portion, about 10 percent of ebony, is deep black—the rest is striped or interspersed with various shades of light or dark brown and gray.
Centuries of misconduct
For centuries, sawmills in Africa supplied ebony that was as black as possible. Musical instrument makers and cabinetmakers only wanted high-quality, completely black ebony. The only way to determine whether an ebony tree was black or not was to cut it down and then examine it. And in 80-90% of cases, it was not jet black. These trees were considered inferior and simply left behind! This went on for centuries and was a reflection of the vanity and ignorance of the Western world.
Attitudes toward ebony are finally changing
We know that ebony can be black, but it doesn't have to be, and most of the time it isn't. Often, the colorful pieces of colored ebony are even more beautiful than the pure black wood. It is important that ebony is harvested in a responsible and sustainable manner today. Every single user can set an example for the responsible use of this precious treasure of nature with their attitude.
Does ebony ward off evil spirits?
Its extraordinary hardness and black color have made ebony the subject of many myths and legends. It was used to drive away evil spirits. Even drinking cups were made of ebony to protect the user from poisoning.
For craftsmen, there are different types of ebony trees that are native to arid regions in West Africa, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, South India, and Indonesia.
In the past, this exquisite wood was only available to artisans due to the nature of the material and its high cost. It has long been used for the finest carpentry, decorative items, crucifixes, and a variety of musical instruments.
A wood that doesn't float!
Ebony is one of the few types of wood that does not float on water but sinks to the bottom. It is heavy, dense, and has a higher bending strength than other types of wood. Ebony can be worked to an extremely smooth finish and is very durable. It is the only wood used for fingerboards that can withstand decades of wear and tear on violins and other fretless instruments. While an instrument with frets does not need such an extremely wear-resistant wood, ebony has unique properties that make it a fantastic material for fingerboards and other parts of instruments.
Ebony is completely black, right?
Many types of ebony are threatened with extinction due to unsustainable harvesting. In Africa, for example, most of the native ebony has been illegally logged over the last few centuries. However, there is an even sadder reason for the endangerment of ebony. Uninformed users believe that ebony is black, but that is not the reality. In truth, only a small portion, about 10 percent of ebony, is deep black—the rest is striped or interspersed with various shades of light or dark brown and gray.
Centuries of misconduct
For centuries, sawmills in Africa supplied ebony that was as black as possible. Musical instrument makers and cabinetmakers only wanted high-quality, completely black ebony. The only way to determine whether an ebony tree was black or not was to cut it down and then examine it. And in 80-90% of cases, it was not jet black. These trees were considered inferior and simply left behind! This went on for centuries and was a reflection of the vanity and ignorance of the Western world.
Attitudes toward ebony are finally changing
We know that ebony can be black, but it doesn't have to be, and most of the time it isn't. Often, the colorful pieces of colored ebony are even more beautiful than the pure black wood. It is important that ebony is harvested in a responsible and sustainable manner today. Every single user can set an example for the responsible use of this precious treasure of nature with their attitude.