Texas Ebony El Grande

[vick]

ALmost did not post it since the turning is plain but I really wanted to show off this wood. This is my first time turning Texas Ebony, I had recieved it in a trade with Billy (Alamocdc) and love it. I had trouble getting a good picture but from a distance it looks dark brown when you get closer their are green and yellow hues in it.

 

[Ron Mc]

Mike,
Thanks for posting this pen. I've been thinking about using some Texas ebony in some pen design but I just wasn't sure how dark it would be. This gives me a great idea what to expect.
That's an interesting grain pattern on the lower barrel. It almost looks like it "swirls" in the middle.

 

[alamocdc]

Okay, so the turning is plain and at first glance the wood might appear to be, but you did a great job on the pen! Fit is dead on and the finish is what I've come to expect with TE. It really polishes well. []

 

[Randy_]

OK, I give up. What is Texas Ebony?? Using local names can get very confusing. Sure would be nice if folks would include the scienticic name or at least a name that more folks might recognize when a wood has more than one common name.

 

[vick]

http://www.bonsai-bci.com/species/txebony.html

This is a link I found. That is the only name I know for it.

 

[Dario]

Very nice pen.

It looks very light though and if I remember it right, the ones I gave Billy are almost black.

I still have a lot of it and am guilty of not posting any for sale after my initial query for interest parties.

Randy, Texas Ebony is a "rare" wood that can only be found near the Texas-Mexico border. I got lucky and found a few pieces on my trip there. Scored probably 800 pounds or so of this stuff.

Try this link
http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8534&SearchTerms=texas,ebony

 

[DCBluesman]

Texas ebony is Pithecellobium flexicaule or Pithecellobium ebano. I don't know if it has any common names other than Texas ebony.

 

[vick]

Dario,
My monitor at home is wacky so when I adjusted the picture it looked right their. I am at work now and it looks alot lighter. Well the blank looks pretty black before turning once I turned and polished it, it is a dark brown with olive green and pale yellow high lights.

 

[alamocdc]

Dario, the pieces I got from you are darker than this. I got this from Houston Hardwoods in board form on my trip down there in August.

 

[Randy_]

I see some others have been doing a little research as well. I found this link to an article by the University of florida: http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/trees/PITFLEA.pdf and discovered several references to the wood as Texas blackbead and one as Texas blackbeard. Guess it depends upon who you talk to. Here some other trees in the same family:

Pithecellobium flexicaule (Ebenopsis ebano): Texas Ebony
Pithecellobium (Harvardia) mexicanum: Mexican Ebony
Pithecellobium (Harvardia) pallens: Tenaza
Pithecellobium Sonorae Palo: Jocono

And, of course, Dario was referring to it as Ironwood in an earlier post.

 

[vick]

No offence Randy but I am going to stick with calling it Texas Ebony, it sounds cooler[8D].

 

[Randy_]

Originally posted by Dario<br />...Randy, Texas Ebony is a "rare" wood that can only be found near the Texas-Mexico border...

Dario: The link I posted shows map that seems to suggest this stuff can be found in Florida, South Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California as well as West Texas and Mexico.

 

[Randy_]

And this from the Pima County Arizona web site: http://www.pima.gov/cmo/sdcp/sdcp2/edu/iw/illus.html

Doesn't appear that Ironwood and Texas Ebony are the same thing???

 

[Randy_]

Originally posted by vick<br />No offence Randy but I am going to stick with calling it Texas Ebony, it sounds cooler[8D].

Mike: None taken; but nothing with the word "TEXAS" in it sounds cool!! How about Minnesota Ebony??[][]

 

[Dario]

Randy,

Ironwood is a general term for any wood that sink in water...i.e. higher density than water. Of course I may be mistaken too .

Lignum Vitae is one and probably one of the best known ironwood.

 

[Dario]

Randy,

Ironwood is a general term for any wood that sink in water...i.e. higher density than water. Of course I may be mistaken too .

Lignum Vitae is one and probably one of the best known ironwood.

 

[Randy_]

Hey Dario....I got it the first time!![][]