Where do you get your ebony?

[Ernie Nyvall]

Started looking for some ebony today. I've never used it or bought any, but have a need for some for a collar. I found one place in Houston that had some, but sheeeez, it is $67.00/bdft. I do need some that is at least 5" wide.
Anyway, does this price sound right?

Ernie

[John Hart]

Woodcraft usually has Ebony Grabbags...but I don't know if there would be anything that big. The grabbags are around $25. The price you found seems a tad steep though. Have you considered African Blackwood? It turns better I hear, but looks the same.

[Ernie Kuhn]

Ernie,
I found a fairly narrow stick of Ebony at a local Eastern Washington wood place, but much to small for your needs. It was about an inch square, almost and about 15" long and cost me $12. I don't know what that equates to by the board foot but was real pricey for me. I only used it for a finial and a couple of triangular corner pieces on a box. I did like the way it worked, real smooth and polishes nicely.
The other, Ernie

[Bill Stevener]

Hi Ernie,

We have a local wood store per-say, about 20 mi. up the road. The gent stocks all types of exotic wood. So much for where I get it. Really good Ebony gets quite pricey as it gets wider, as well as, thicker. Hard to find the wide stuff as it really likes to crack, 5" is not uncommon.

I would suggest, punch it in on the unmentionable auction page and or Google it. I do know you can find a better price than you quoted.

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Ernie Nyvall]

Woodcraft usually has Ebony Grabbags...but I don't know if there would be anything that big. The grabbags are around $25. The price you found seems a tad steep though. Have you considered African Blackwood? It turns better I hear, but looks the same.

Yea, I went to the Woodcraft and they were all out. Guess I'll check out the African Blackwood.

Ernie

[Brad Schmid]

Ernie,

I don't know if you tried Houston hardwoods yet, but that's where I get most of my exotics when I get them locally. It's at 290 and 34th street (about 2-3 miles further toward the city from Woodcraft). I never have bought ebony from them, so I can't give you an idea on price, but I know they have it. You might also try Masons Mill at 290 just inside the beltway. If you can't find the phone numbers, let me know and I'll get them for you.

Brad

[Cecil Arnold]

Ernie, I sent you a PM, but in reply to Brad's post, I have a price list from Houston Hardwoods on 34th ( it's a year old) and they quote $70 bf. for Gabbon Ebony.

[Jim Tobias]

Ernie,
I don't know how much you are looking to buy, but awhile back I needed some long pieces of ebony for trim. I found a good price (for Gaboon Ebony anyway) at Tropical Exotic Hardwoods of Latin America
:http://www.anexotichardwood.com/
They sell a large billet (40 - 50 lbs and 4 ' long or better) of it by the pound. I figured that if I bought that, I would have a lifetime supply of Gaboon Ebony.

Jim

[Rob Bourgeois]

try ebay.

There is a guy who makes musical instruments and high end ebony boxes and often see hunks of ebony on his auctions. I havent purchased anything yet but I have been following a few and they are cheaper than woodcraft's

[Carole Valentine]

Started looking for some ebony today. I've never used it or bought any, but have a need for some for a collar. I found one place in Houston that had some, but sheeeez, it is $67.00/bdft. I do need some that is at least 5" wide.
Anyway, does this price sound right?

Ernie

Ernie, just curious. If you are going to use it for a collar, why do you need it so wide? Must be a huge piece! African Blackwood is probably going to be more expensive than ebony, at least the instrument grade without sapwood. The last I got was $37 for a 2x2x12 billet. If budget is a factor, I have had excellent results using holly ebonized with India Ink.

[Jim Becker]

Don't discount ebonizing some other close grained species...india ink works well for this.

[Bill Stevener]

I like "Kiwi", Ernie. :D

Bill.>>>>>>>>>:)

[Keith Christopher]

Around here the Gaboon ebony goes for about 50/bf. Snakewood and Vitae are sold by the pound.

[Ernie Nyvall]

Ernie, just curious. If you are going to use it for a collar, why do you need it so wide? Must be a huge piece! African Blackwood is probably going to be more expensive than ebony, at least the instrument grade without sapwood. The last I got was $37 for a 2x2x12 billet. If budget is a factor, I have had excellent results using holly ebonized with India Ink.

No, it's not a big piece. A short wide HF with a hole big enough to take a glass dish with a 4" foam thingy that will take cut flowers.

It's not exactly a budget factor. It's hard to put a piece of wood on something that may not be worth the piece you add. :rolleyes:

Thanks everyone for the info.

Ernie

[Don Baer]

I bought a piece of Ebony that was 1"x2"x12" to make 4 plugs for the table I'm working on and it cost me $20. I figure those hole plugs are $5 a piece..:o

[Mike Ramsey]

Ernie, have you tried Houston Hardwoods off of 290 and Mangum.
They carry some turning stuff like that but you have to climb the stairs
to the loft and poke through the pieces by yourself as they don't
know whats up there. Calling them doesn't help that's why
you gotta go poke! I got some Cocabolo that wasn't to bad in
price, $8.00 for the biggest piece, I think it was like 3"x3"x14"