working with Black & White Ebony for scales

Sean Jones

Sean Jones

Well-Known Member
I've been given a small piece Black & White Ebony by my family and am wondering how to work it and finish it. It's a very nice looking piece of wood and from what I can gather looking around online is fairly rare.

Any input is appreciated thanks.
 
Check your moisture content before you start cutting into it. When its dry enough, shape it and finish it to a high grit. Seal it with your choice of finish as it has a tendency to move depending on how much white it has. I've had pieces crack along the darker veining when not sealed right.
 
thanks for the tip Faron. I didn't think about moisture content. It's a cut block that has been waxed covered though so I'm thinking it's been dried.
 
I'd hate to tell you but the majority of the time those blocks are still green or only partially dried. The wax is meant to allow them to dry slowly and reduce checking and cracking. You may also want to think about stabilizing your block once its dry to forgo the sealing/finishing process associated with using natural woods in their "raw" state.
 
A word of caution about Ebony. It's concrete....not in hardness, but in the fact that it's not a matter of IF it will crack or check.....ITS WHEN. Personally, I won't use Ebony for a knife handle, because I KNOW sooner or later I will see that knife again because of the Ebony checking/cracking.
 
EdCaffreyMS said:
A word of caution about Ebony. It's concrete....not in hardness, but in the fact that it's not a matter of IF it will crack or check.....ITS WHEN. Personally, I won't use Ebony for a knife handle, because I KNOW sooner or later I will see that knife again because of the Ebony checking/cracking.
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I agree with Ed on the Ebony, If this is for yourself or family that fine. I wouldn't use it for a customer of mine because as Ed stated, I will see it again for cracks and checks. I made two of my handles with some Gaboon ebony and have had both come back to me a couple of years latter.

If its a culinary knife you are making I find Stabilized woods work best for that environment or synthetics like Kirinite work great.

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
Many years ago I used some cured B&W ebony for some knife handles. The wood warped and split along the joint between colors.

It's too dense to absorb sealants. I don't know if it will work after stabilizing, but I suspect it won't absorb that either.

Too bad, it's really beautiful stuff.
 
Black and white ebony can be stabilized but in my experience it does add to your turnaround time. The last time I had some done, it spent 15 days under vacuum but came out very solid and easier to work. Part of the issue in working it is the fact that the black is denser and harder than the white so they seem to sand down at different rates. It feels like you're working African Blackwood and American white holly together.

Mike
 
hmmm thanks for the information. This is only my third knife (unless you count the duds) so it's doubtful I would sell it. Still I think I will set it aside for now and use something else. My family gave me a bunch of different wood so I have plenty to choose from.
 
I have a piece of the best looking black and white ebony I ever laid eyes on. It's stabilized and I picked it up at the Blade Show a couple of years ago. I've had it sitting in the shop to see if it was going to start acting like it usually does, cracking and checking, so far so good. I have a big damascus bowie I'm working on and I'm tempted to use it on it.
 
thanks for the further information Tom. I'm going to let the piece I have sit for a while also then stabilize. It's an interesting piece of wood.
 
DropPoint said:
hmmm thanks for the information. This is only my third knife (unless you count the duds) so it's doubtful I would sell it. Still I think I will set it aside for now and use something else. My family gave me a bunch of different wood so I have plenty to choose from.
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DropPoint,
Yes the duds count! LOL.
Everyone has a box of them somewhere! No matter what they try to tell you!:shush:

It comes with the territory!

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
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