Ebony for pens?

[ed4copies]

I am posting this because I am reading a lot of turners are making ebony pens.

As a newbee, in 1995, I made dozens of ebony slimlines and took them to several shows. One show was outdoors in mid-July--I displayed about a dozen ebony and a similar number of pink ivory pens. Temp was near 100 degrees. By mid-afternoon, a customer commented, "Why do you show all these pens with cracked bodies?"

He was correct--they were not cracked when I put them out, but nearly all were cracked after being in the heat (NOT direct sunlight) for 6 hours. Those were the last pens I made from ebony or pink ivory.

If you want that "look", consider blackwood--it is less likely to crack.

Alternatively, realize a black resin will look VERY similar and it is unlikely to crack.

Hopefully, this practice will save you from losing a bunch of pens that took hours to make and finish!!

FWIW,
Ed

I encourage you to comment below--what has your experience been??

 

[Woodchipper]

Ed, thanks for your information.

 

[MRDucks2]

While I recently lost my ebony pen, the good news was that the cracks (one from each end on opposite sides of the blank) it got from being on display outside at the hot craft show would close back up in cooler temperatures. So it only looked cracked about 1/3 of the time.

 

[jcm71]

I am posting this because I am reading a lot of turners are making ebony pens.

As a newbee, in 1995, I made dozens of ebony slimlines and took them to several shows. One show was outdoors in mid-July--I displayed about a dozen ebony and a similar number of pink ivory pens. Temp was near 100 degrees. By mid-afternoon, a customer commented, "Why do you show all these pens with cracked bodies?"

He was correct--they were not cracked when I put them out, but nearly all were cracked after being in the heat (NOT direct sunlight) for 6 hours. Those were the last pens I made from ebony or pink ivory.

If you want that "look", consider blackwood--it is less likely to crack.

Alternatively, realize a black resin will look VERY similar and it is unlikely to crack.

Hopefully, this practice will save you from losing a bunch of pens that took hours to make and finish!!

FWIW,
Ed

I encourage you to comment below--what has your experience been??

One of the first pens I made was a Cigar pen out of ebony. Both barrels cracked soon after completion. It now sits in a pen stand by our phone. I keep it as a reminder to never make another pen out of ebony. I have made several out of black and white ebony with no problems.

 

[its_virgil]

Yep. Ebony is a cracker. Learned that early on. Stopped using ebony many years ago.

 

[Mike]

I haven't made a pen from ebony, but made my wife a small jewelry box. Long story, but it took me about 30 or 35 years from start to finish. It is beautiful and has no cracks. I tried putting a couple of different finishes on it before I gave up and polished with Johnson's paste floor wax after hand sanding with MM to 8000 grit. She didn't want it "shiny". I used Gabon Ebony, unless the supplier was lying?

Mike

 

[leehljp]

I use ebony as segments and have not had problem with the segments. However I must confess that I learned of ebonies cracking shortly after beginning my pen turning experiences - in late 2004. As a result of learning WHAT causes, I am obsessive in not letting them set out in the sun or near a window. IF one can control the environment that it is in, one can cut down on the cracks. One other thing was that I was in Japan at the time I started and found some rubber epoxy. I drilled the hole .5mm size larger and used the rubber epoxy. I don't know which has been the most effective in preventing my ebony segments from cracking - .5mm larger hole with rubber epoxy or obsessiveness of the pens location.

This pen was made in 2008 and my wife still has it somewhere. The last time I saw it (last year) the ebony had not cracked.

Imported Photo from leehljp

Imported Photo from leehljp. Please edit title and description.

www.penturners.org

That said, That ebony was from persimmon. It is my understanding that there are several varities/species of ebonies. Musical instrument ebonies do not crack - and they are/were definitely used outside quite often, and I do not know what species of ebonies those are/were.

 

[leehljp]

Ed nailed it - African Blackwood for not cracking - and used in woodwind instruments. (But it is listed as an ebony technically) - See below

Google Search on Ebonies for musical instruments:

Types of Ebony Used in Instruments

• Gaboon Ebony
  (Diospyros crassifolia): This highly prized, deep black wood is ideal for piano keys, instrument fingerboards (like on violins and guitars), and small decorative accents. (My comment from reading: Gaboon ebony, is endangered. )
  
  
• African Blackwood
  (Dalbergia melanoxylon): Though a true ebony, it is sometimes called Grenadilla. Its high density and stability make it excellent for woodwind instruments such as clarinets, oboes, and piccolos. (My wife had a piccolo made from ebony when she was in HS (60's), and I remember one relative using a wood (ebony) clarinet back in the 60's.

• Macassar Ebony
  (Diospyros celebica): This type of ebony is known for its attractive, contrasting streaks of dark brown and lighter colors, making it a popular choice for decorative veneers and high-end instruments.

Here is a link to persimmon ebony. A picture of the ebony can be seen near the top, and a good read on reproducibility of this wood is under the caption below called "Orange is the new black".

Black Heartwood and Persimmons — Botanically Speaking

If you haven’t tried a persimmon, by the way, you are in for quite a treat. When soft and ripe they have a texture like jelly-candy…

www.botanicallyspeaking.org

A few old timers may remember someone from the Philippines selling persimmon ebony blanks here about 15 years ago. I bought a dozen and still have 3 or 4.

Below is a picture of some persimmon ebony boards about 6 ft long, 8 inches wide, 2" thick that a Japanese friend paid the equivalent of $800 per board back in 2003. When finished, the wood is very black in appearance, and oily! It will crack if left in the hot sun.