African Blackwood Imported from China?

Dang it’s such a shame! Guess I will have to hunt around a bit locally for scrap and save the little Ebony I can find for my extra special knives. While we do have a great variety of wood selection here down under like Natlek mentioned, the term “we all want what we can’t have” comes to mind haha. It’s just such a nice looking wood and I have always liked how it looks, feels, and finishes.

Again I appreciate everyone responses
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
While I agree China does many crooked things and I refrain from buying anything from there which is almost impossible these days. Blackwoods grow very slowly, 100 years plus. Calling them renewable is a bit of a joke. That’s why I prefer Bocote which grows in small to medium sized groves of trees in Mexico & C America. In 10-30 years, Lots of figure. Domestic Walnut, Ash, Maple, Oak —— Also it’s almost impossible to really know these days if any Blackwood etc is Legally harvested & renewable ....
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There been some sustainable sources of blackwood in Tanzania now since early 2000's where NGO's and villagers are managing the forest, replanting, and making it so it's sustainable. run by the Forest stewardship council. It's where Woodcraft gets majority of their turning stock now for instance.
 
Aidenag said:
There been some sustainable sources of blackwood in Tanzania now since early 2000's where NGO's and villagers are managing the forest, replanting, and making it so it's sustainable. run by the Forest stewardship council. It's where Woodcraft gets majority of their turning stock now for instance.
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I wish them luck!
 
Jesse WW said:
“we all want what we can’t have”
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That is true, also what is an exotic to the one is fire wood to the other.
I read a Australian knife maker being so proud of using "real Euro beech", wich is just fire wood over here.
To bad shipping costs to Australia are so high, otherwise swapping a box of local medium grade wood would mean recieving a box full of cool exotics from the other side of the world.

OT also look for turning blanks. I have two (billiard) cue turning blanks that were not good enough for that purpose but are a lot of knife handles.
 
Jesse WW said:
Thanks everyone for the responses. I am quite happy with the answers I have gotten.

wtMVuc0.jpg

As you can see its quite ordinary.
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It looks like macassar ebony, as Ben said low grade, but ebony nevertheless. You said you don't have experience with this wood, but the moment you grind it you will have its particular smell recorded.

[edit] Found this image that shows my everyday use keyboard IBM type M (circa 1985) and a knife with a ring of low grade ebony macassar, you can see how "cloudy" it is. Used it because it kinda matches the light wood also used.

Pablo

UowIkjU.jpg
 
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I actualy like lower grade ebony over solid black stuff.
With all man made materials available, some good natural figure is a good thing I think
 
Burmese blackwood most likely.i have a block from woodturninz that has more figure but looks like same wood.
 
Hengelo_77 said:
OT also look for turning blanks. I have two (billiard) cue turning blanks that were not good enough for that purpose but are a lot of knife handles.
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Most turning blanks are not dry wood.
 
Received an update from the Wildlife Trade Dept. What do y’all make of this?


Dear Jesse


Thank you for your email below regarding the import of Gabon Ebony (Diospyros Crassiflora), and Indian/Ceylon Ebony (Diospyros Ebenum).


Import permits from our Department are not required as only Diospyros spp from populations of Madagascar are subject to regulation under CITES:


Diospyros spp.

Malagasy ebony

II

Populations of Diospyrosspp. from Madagascar are included in Appendix II.

Only logs, sawn wood and veneer sheets are subject to the Convention.

12 Jun 2013
 
PEU said:
It looks like macassar ebony, as Ben said low grade, but ebony nevertheless. You said you don't have experience with this wood, but the moment you grind it you will have its particular smell recorded.

[edit] Found this image that shows my everyday use keyboard IBM type M (circa 1985) and a knife with a ring of low grade ebony macassar, you can see how "cloudy" it is. Used it because it kinda matches the light wood also used.

Pablo

UowIkjU.jpg
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A nice lookin’ blade. The Ebony does definitely match the lighter wood. The lighter wood does look quite nice, what is it out of curiosity? Does look familiar.
Your IBM can definitely use a little bit of a clean though! I like a good patina on my blades, but definitely not on my keyboards haha

Mikko Pitkanen said:
Cool I've been thinking about buying a unicomp keyboard for almost a year now.
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I don’t have experience with the unicomps. I hear they aren’t as rugged as the original Model Ms however they are produced from the same molds so I hear. They come with a USB connector which is also convenient. I needed an adapter for a few of my M’s because they have the old school terminal DIN connector - a huge pain.
 
Ugh. Legalese. Are knife scales “sawn wood”? My bet is that ben greenburg will understand and be able to describe the import/export issues. Go Ben!!! :)
 
Cushing H. said:
Ugh. Legalese. Are knife scales “sawn wood”? My bet is that ben greenburg will understand and be able to describe the import/export issues. Go Ben!!! :)
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So, the import of ebony from the world except Madagascar is not restricted.

Technically, Madagascar can only export finished wood items, however this is a very grey area. I do not import from Madagascar due to the massive amount of corruption and the devestation of the island by timber barons.

Could you get away with claiming knife scales or blocks were technically finished products? Yes. Ive seen woodshops import turning stock by calling it finished stair bannister rails. But these regulations exist because of the extensive deforestation of these plays, and I have no interest in playing that sort of legal game.
 
Greenberg Woods said:
...Knife makers are among the most picky, figure obsessed wood buyers in the world. When I buy wood, I am sorting and picking and choosing because I know the only way to keep my customers coming back is to make sure that each piece is excellent. Buying sight unseen on wood is risky prospect for a lot of makers, and a lot of makers have been burned. The fact that i have repeat customers for my sight unseen woods in a real point of pride for me.
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This is so true. I find myself collecting and drying a lot of interesting looking pieces of wood but when I cut them up I only keep blocks that are intensely figured, interesting and eye popping. Everything else goes on the firewood woodpile. A lot more wood goes onto the woodpile than goes into my shipping box of blanks for K&G.
 
Randydb said:
This is so true. I find myself collecting and drying a lot of interesting looking pieces of wood but when I cut them up I only keep blocks that are intensely figured, interesting and eye popping. Everything else goes on the firewood woodpile. A lot more wood goes onto the woodpile than goes into my shipping box of blanks for K&G.
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LOL. Being a newcomer to this forum, i am shocked, SHOCKED, to hear you say that. (Get the reference to casablanca?). I think i can understand. As WEO and i shared a little while ago, the search for cool wood seems to be more than a little addictive..
 
Cushing H. said:
LOL. Being a newcomer to this forum, i am shocked, SHOCKED, to hear you say that. (Get the reference to casablanca?). I think i can understand. As WEO and i shared a little while ago, the search for cool wood seems to be more than a little addictive..
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Some of my students are addicted now. Other's start hiding when I get looking at an interesting piece because they know I will be recruiting them to haul it out of the bush. I pay in jujubes and Timbits. Apparently my minimum wage is a bit low for some of the kids.
 
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