What kind of wood?

[bstewert]

Anyone know what kind of wood this is? I was told they are from Africa.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Wenge maybe?
http://www.woodworkerssource.com/wenge.html

 

[MasterBlaster]

I was in Kenya. You wouldn't believe all the carved stuff available.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Zebra Wood has some similarities as well. Africa is intriguing.

 

[MasterBlaster]

They called the bundles of Ganja "Arms." About a quarter pound...

 

[bonner1040]

They called the bundles of Ganja "Arms." About a quarter pound...

That is a bit excessive for a vacation-esque time period.. I mean, a qp? in what a week or two!

 

[woodworkingboy]

If it is definitely from Africa, it probably is African Ebony or Gaboon Ebony, there are a few different names for it. It looks somewhat more like the Macassar Ebony, which is greater characterized by the lighter mixed with darker as in the photo, but Macassar is from India. Wenge has lighter stripes, but I have never seen the wider swatches of lighter color in that species, and it is more open grained. I bet you couldn't go wrong saying that it is an Ebony, and if those are African animals, probably a species of African. Pretty wood there.

 

[SoonerFan]

I know, i know... tree wood.

Ok, it wasn't really that funny.

I'll shut up now.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Hate to contradict your studied response, Dennis, but Ebony can also be a bush.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

HAHAHA!

 

[SoonerFan]

Jay, I first read your comment as "Hate to contradict your STUPID response". ha

 

[bstewert]

I remember always carving little stuff when growing up. Do kids do that anymore?

 

[Paul B]

Bob, kids dont even get plastic knives at school lunch until they are about 12. I am trying to get my nephew a small folding knife, for camping and carving etc, he is 8, parents are humming and hawing about it so far. I starteed teaching him how to make campfires last summer, which they weren't too pleased about

 

[bstewert]

Yea, I wasn't even thinking about at school, just in general.

Two stories about knife paranoia. I had one of those dinky 3" swiss army knives (scissors, fingernail file, one blade) confiscated at an airport. Sad for me, since it had a nice Yellowstone Nat Park logo on it, and had sentimental value.

Another time I remember at the San Fran airport (shortly after 9-11), I ordered a sandwich in the food court, but could not get it cut in half. They had NO knives, not even the plastic ones!

 

[Husabud]

Did any of guys have a knife card? When I was learning to handle my first cub scout knife my grandfather gave me what he called a knife card. Typical playing card of my choosing. Each time I used the knife for other than its intended purpose or cut myself I lost a corner, after four corners I lost the knife for a period of time. It didn't take long to learn to be as careful as one could be with my knife and to use it for the right things.

 

[Paul B]

I still have the swiss army knife I had as a youth, I am thinking of this one for my nephew. Sorry for the derail Bob, I'll stop now

 

[Burnham]

I never heard of a knife card, but I like the premise.

 

[stig]

I agree with Jay that it is probably a diospyros of some kind ( Ebony) but definitely not Gaboon.
That is the darkest/blackest of all the ebonies.
I have a nice chunk of it, that I sometimes use a bit of for a special project.

The weirdest one was turning two collar buttons for a tuxedo!

 

[bstewert]

Stig, did you post pics of the collar buttons before? I tried to find it.

 

[stig]

Never.
That was about 18 years ago.

This guy bought a fairly high priced tuxedo and found out that the little buttons holding the collar in place ( picture a tack with a ball on it's tip) were made out of plastic.
He just couldn't live with that, so I made a couple of sets out of Gaboon ebony.

 

[Bermy]

Never.
That was about 18 years ago.

This guy bought a fairly high priced tuxedo and found out that the little buttons holding the collar in place ( picture a tack with a ball on it's tip) were made out of plastic.
He just couldn't live with that, so I made a couple of sets out of Gaboon ebony.

Now that's classy, who would know but him? I like it.

 

[bstewert]

So Stig, do you have a piece of it left?

 

[Burnham]

Sounds like Bob may have a tux that needs upgrading .

 

[bstewert]

How'd you know???????

 

[stig]

Yes, I have a nice block left.
If you need tuxedo buttons, PM me about it and I'll make you some for a donation to the House.