Ebony Turning Blanks

With its deep black tone and high luster, Ebony has been the natural choice for piano keyboards for centuries. Its extreme density makes it a challenge to work, but with patience the results can be stunning. Whether carved or turned, it can be polished to a gleaming, jet black finish, with smooth surfaces reminiscent of polished stone. These turning blanks are available in an assortment of sizes for pens, carvings, bottle stoppers, chess pieces, tool handles, table legs, spindles, finials, candlesticks and whatever else your imagination can conjure up!

Due to high demand and limited supply, we cannot always guarantee that this item will be in stock. Turning Blanks come rough sawn to nominal thickness and are coated with wax. Native to: Equatorial West Africa. Tree: May reach heights of 50 to 60 ft with trunk diameters of about 24". Heartwood: Uniformly jet black, black brown or streaked. Sapwood: Pink colored off the saw, darkening to a pale reddish brown with exposure. Width of sapwood varies widely. Texture: Very fine. Grain: Straight or slightly interlocking. Sometimes curly. Allergies: Sawdust may cause a skin reaction. Working Properties: Ebony is extremely hard, and the heartwood is difficult to machine with both hand and power tools. Dulls tools quickly. May tear out while planing if grain is irregular. Polish: Takes an excellent polish. Steam-bending properties: Good. Natural Durability: Heartwood is very durable. Resists termite attack very well.

Customer Reviews and Photos for: Ebony Turning Blanks Average Rating: 3.0 (5 customer reviews) Add your review...

1) Submitted by John Horrocks, from Milford, CT on 3/19/2009 Customer Rating: This wood turns as well as any wood I have ever used. There is minimal dust, a pleasant aroma and it is a moist wood cutting down on tool wear. The only disadvantage is to those who love wood grain. It is the blackest wood I know of. The grain is almost invisible. It doesn't even show up in photos. All-in-all it is one of the finest woods you will ever turn. Damascus steel Galveston oyster knife (click to see full-size picture in new window)

2) Submitted by William Albertson, from Burtchville, MI on 1/13/2009 Customer Rating: Nice black piece of ebony that is very difficult to find anywhere. I strongly believe that this is African (the best for color) and not South American. I'm already thinking of projects for additional ebony purchases. The pricing is also very fair. Shipping is very prompt.

3) Submitted by Ray Witkowski, from New Wilmington, PA on 3/15/2010 Customer Rating: I manufacture magic props, tables, and wands. I recently purchased 2 pieces of gabon ebony 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 x18. I cut these down into 4 blanks each to make wands. The one piece was 1 3/8 x 1 1/2 which messed up the measurments of the blanks. Since these pieces are covered with wax you don't know what you are getting until you cut them for the blanks. Both pieces were full of cracks and splits that they really weren't usable. Out of the two pieces I should have been able to turn eight wands. Instead I only got two out of them. This was money wasted for me.

4) Submitted by Jim Showalter, from Los Gatos, CA on 12/3/2010 Customer Rating: The block was undersized compared to the stated dimensions because it has a lengthwise corner that's sheared off.

5) Submitted by Charle E. Hess, from Henderson, KY on 6/7/2009 Customer Rating: Wood is not as Black as Ebony I've purchased previously. Looks more like African Blackwood. Has too much visible grain & light streaks.