Wood black (ebony): properties, application

Black wood is a generalized name, it means a collection of tree species with black wood . The tree that is most often called black is the ebony tree that grows in Africa (Zaire, Nigeria, Cameroon) and Ceylon (Sri Lanka, India).

Historical reference

The black tree is called in different ways: mugembe, black tree, "tree of music", mpingo, "zebra tree". Since ancient times, people have used bark, leaves and ebony wood, attributed to them magical properties. In the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun were found products of black wood. In Egypt, this valuable material was delivered from East Africa. It was believed that weapons, the material of which was the tree of the ebony family, is capable of killing evil spirits and demons. Amulets symbolized courage, courage of their owner, and, according to the beliefs, brought strength and agility.

African tribes used ebony for the preparation of charcoal, because its wood has extraordinary hardness and great heat emission.

Products of ebony often attributed to the magic properties. For example, caskets from ebony intended to store magic items to preserve their quality.

Properties and characteristics

Ebony tree has a powerful trunk, in diameter reaching more than a meter. The height is about 10 meters. It grows very slowly, due to which it has a high density, 2 times that of oak. In order to reach marketable dimensions, many years are necessary.

The bark of ebony is of no value and therefore is used only in folk medicine of African healers. The wood is sound, very strong (density is 900-1000 kg / m ³ , at a humidity of 15%), oily, which provides resistance to the effects of any atmospheric phenomena. The most dense texture of the Ceylon ebony.

With changes in temperature conditions and changes in humidity, the structure remains stable. The core has a brownish-chocolate color, often with a lilac or light purple hue. Zabolon is less dense, yellowish in color. Wood can be easily polished, turned. The tree is black rot and is not damaged by insects (even omnivorous termites bypass it).

Leaves of ebony are leathery, large, evergreen, but in rare cases they can fall off when drought.

All tropical species have wood that has a beautiful natural matte shine, but some varieties can also have a metallic luster.

The essential oil of ebony is quite problematic. It is used in the production of perfume, because it gives the fragrance depth and emphasizes neighboring notes of perfume.

Features of the workpiece

Drying the ebony tree is bad. When harvesting wood, the pre-drying method is used. It consists in the fact that about two years before felling, special circular notches are made on the trunk, this stops growth. In order to avoid unnecessarily rapid drying, the wood after the sawing is tightly covered from the sun and drafts and the ends are treated (lime or other similar material is suitable for this purpose).

"Musical" tree

Due to its density and water-repellent properties, the black tree is successfully used in the manufacture of high-end musical instruments. Especially popular for wind instruments, such as flute, clarinet, oboe. Also, ebony wood makes piano keys, vultures and pads for guitars and violins. The guitar neck, for which ebony is used, the center of gravity of the instrument shifts to itself, which is important for professional performers. The guitar shell of a well polished ebony does not create echoes, if suddenly the mediator jumps off the strings. The lining on the fretboard does not abrade and keeps the plate plates perfectly.

In addition, ebony wood can be used for gluing pianos and pianos, which are made of small-pile pine.

Manufacturing of furniture

For inlay and veneering, the black tree has been used since the 17th century. In 1733, the price of timber imports was reduced, as a result of which its wide application began.

In the beginning of the 19th century, it became fashionable to stylize to such cultures as Roman, Greek, Egyptian. At this time, their popularity began to recruit curule chairs, which were made from wood ebony. Externally very elegant and weightless, in fact, solid and heavy.

In Russia, the popularity of elite furniture from ebony wood began from the time of Peter the Great, and since the 18th century mahogany has often been used.

Today, ebony is used for furniture decoration items, as well as for the manufacture of exclusive products. For stressed luxury, wood elements are combined with components from expensive metals.

For finishing and inlaying furniture, musical instruments, the ebony planed veneer is used.

Interior items and souvenirs

Wood ebony, thanks to its unique properties, is ideal for machining in the manufacture of various items: figurines, knife handles, souvenir products.

The most skilled ebony carvers are people from the Maconde tribe. They make extraordinary expressive sculptures from ebony. In work use a method of connection of the materials, various under the invoice: carefully polished elements and cut out without processing.

Today, the value of ebony is also high, from this elite material are made: chess, backgammon, canes, wine boxes, cigars, decor elements, frames for photos and paintings, hilt for blades and much more.

Use of fruits and leaves

The black tree has edible fruits, characterized by a tart taste (this is due to the accumulation in the tissues of tannin). However, it disappears during freezing and during storage. In some countries, the ebony leaf and its flowers, which are high in calories, are consumed. From them can be prepared syrups, compotes and many other dishes. You can also eat it raw and dried.

The fruits of ebony, depending on the type and place of growth, can be of different sizes. In eastern persimmon, for example, berries reach 10 cm in diameter.

Healing properties

Europeans in the Middle Ages were confident in the rejuvenating properties of the elixir from tincture of bark, core, fruit and ebony flowers. It was also believed that dishes made of black wood can neutralize poisons.

Residents of Mozambique and to this day ebony is used as a medicinal plant. Used tinctures from the core, bark, leaves and flowers. Practice inhalation of medical smoke with malaria, migraine, bronchitis. Medicines based on the roots of the tree are used to relieve pain in the abdomen.

Some varieties of ebony

Moon ebony is not like other types of ebony, because its wood is characterized by an unusual structure, forming fanciful stripes. The color of the wood can have any shades from dark to light yellow and whitish. And before the tree is cut, only by its appearance, the color of the wood can not be recognized. This species is the rarest, it can be found only in the impassable Philippine forests. Only those trees whose age has reached 400 years or more are to be cut down.

Madagascar eben grows, as the name suggests, on the island of Madagascar, as well as in the Seychelles. The wood is anthracite black, its fresh cut has a metallic sheen.

The Ceylon ebony is one of the most expensive varieties of ebony. It grows in Malaysia, Indonesia, Ceylon. The color of the wood is dark brown.

Cameroonian ebony has a deep black color, gray veins are possible. The most common type of ebony. Prized below other species due to open pores of wood.

The Makasar ebony grows in Indonesia. Its sapwood is yellowish-white in color, the black core has a characteristic pattern of strips of brownish hues.

In connection with its unique properties of wood and increased demand, and also the fact that it is more than one hundred years before the reaching of the commodity age, ebony becomes more and more rare. Since 1994 the ebony tree is listed in the Red Book.

Elite objects made from the wood of the most valuable species of ebony are an exquisite and expensive decoration.