Ebony Wood

The main types of ebony are Macassar ebony and Gabon ebony. Gabon is the blackest ebony, which (seldom ever completely black), may range in colour from dark green (streaked with black), through shades of brown to black. It has a number of applications, including: razor handles, brush backs, buttonhook handles, knife handles, inlay, piano keys, walking sticks, fruit bowls, and chess pieces. Although it is a hard dense wood, it is also brittle and may easily crack under pressure; therefore it needs careful handling when in the making and in subsequent use. Soft woods are sometimes 'ebonized' with stain to make them resemble ebony. Indeed, even ebony is sometimes stained or lacquered (as is probably the case with the above military pattern hair brushes), to give it a solid black appearance.