to the Ebony workers

[KenG]

I have 2 vtg razors originally scaled with Ebony. Both appear as the bare naked wood itself, without finish or sealer.

Given the density of this wood and its ability to take a high polish, apparently the craftsmen a century ago felt no need to seal. Indeed, both samples show no sign of warping, rot or any water damage at all.

Quite an interesting wood. Just the lightest sanding of a small splinter and the sawdust is like charcoal soot.

I wonder if you modern users of Ebony are sealing/not sealing ?

[gssixgun]

Pics


There are very thin oils to use on very dense woods like Ebony or Lignum that do not leave a "Finish" as much as they penetrate and treat, I use Teak Oil or Danish oil for woods like that..

[KenG]

This in mail yesterday, pic is sellers. Not so clear but you can see the grain. My other ebony is a Dahlgren too. Got it apart today cleaning up that nasty tang.

[xiaotuzi]

I got some repurposed Macassar ebony a few years back from a local hardwood dealer. They had a bunch of pieces that a gentleman was going to make into plaques some 40+ years ago. The project was never finished and the ebony ended up being sold to the hardwood dealer. I like the Macassar because it has a surprising amount of color variations. Very heavy and dense but the dust is actually a mild irritant for me. This is a Joseph Elliot I restored with the wood untreated, just polished and it's been fine so far.

[outback]

Did a set of scales in black n white Ebony, sealed in MinWax Polycrylic.

[karlej]

Rare to find any vintage razor with wood scales.

[outback]

So true Karl

[ScoutHikerDad]

What a coincidence, I am currently re-scaling a beautiful Fox Cutlery blade in Gaboon Ebony. It's the usual ebony black with some grain figure visible. I just hand-sanded the scales up to 2500 grit, and left the shop after shaping an aluminum wedge for them. I love the way ebony works so smoothly and effortlessly. I have used it before. You can just polish it up to a high sheen and leave it at that, or use paste wax, which works great on the oily, dense woods like ebony or rosewood. I would also like to try Glen's teak or danish oil, or Outback's Minwax idea.

I'm also wondering if a thin CA finish would work on ebony? That is a technique I've been meaning to try, and I just got a fresh bottle of Hot Stuff-anybody ever use it on ebony? I bet it would look stunning if done right!

[criswilson10]

I usually just use teak oil and/or renwax on ebony.

CA finish should work fine on it. I've used shellac and polyurethane on it without any problems before.
And yes it will glow like a black ebony piano key if done correctly - if done wrong the clear on black will act like a mirror and the defect will scream at you.
A dust free room is almost a necessity.

[ScoutHikerDad]

Yeah, I just finished those Gaboon ebony scales by sanding up through 3000 micro-mesh, buffing with a Fabuluster cotton wheel, a thin coat of carnauba wax, and a final buff on a loose cotton wheel. I posted it under Restorations. It looks much better in person than my poor photography skills show. I do love ebony, though!