It has been close to a decade since we've had Gabon ebony on our website. True Diospyros crassiflora is virtually extinct in raw wood veneer these days, but we got lucky and found some bundles to offer here on our website. It's important to note that the pictures of these lots are taken from the side of the bundle with the most sapwood. This means that the lot you receive may have considerably more of the black heartwood than what is shown in the picture.
Update: I've received several emails requesting a picture of this veneer with a finish applied so that the black color can be seen clearly. Below is a picture taken in my shop from this lot. This is a veneer sheet that I sanded with 150 grit and then wiped on a light coat of denatured alcohol. What a difference it makes to see this ebony this way. An oil-based or lacquer-based finish will give you the same result with this veneer. You can click on the picture below to see the full size image, and click here to see a larger area of the veneer with the alcohol applied.
Common Name:
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African ebony, West African ebony, Gaboon Ebony, and Benin ebony | |
Scientific Name:
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Diospyros crassiflora | |
Family:
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Ebenaceae | |
Color:
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Nearly black with light tan sapwood | |
Origin: | Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Nigeria | |
Shipping Limitation: | Can not be shipped out of the USA | |
Hardness:
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Very hard | |
Texture:
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Fine grain, closed pore | |
Finishing:
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Readily accepts oil and lacquer-based finishes. The dark black color is just amazing with a gloss or semi-gloss oil-based finish. |
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Did You Know:
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According to Wikipedia, the wood that this particular tree produces is believed to be the blackest of all timber-producing Diospyros species, and the heartwood from this tree has been used since ancient Egyptian times! |