Macassar Ebony Lumber
Macassar Ebony Lumber, sometimes misspelled as Maccassar or Maccasar, is a spectacular Ebony wood hailing from Indonesia. Exotic Macassar Ebony wood is strong, very dense and stiff.
Diospyros celebica is a species of flowering tree in the family Ebenaceae that is endemic to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. The common name Makassar ebony is for the main seaport on the island, Makassar. Makassar ebony wood is variegated, streaky brown and black, and nearly always wide-striped.
What is Ebony Wood?
- Dios = God
- Pyros = Fire
However, pyros has a alternative meaning in Greek which is wheat. Thus, Ebony, or God’s food, was highly valued timber from early on.
Technical Information
- Scientific name: Diospyros celebica
- Alternative Names: Makassar Ebony, Macassar Wood, Indonesian Ebony, Striped Ebony, Amara,
- Region of Origin: Indonesia, Eastern & Southern Asia
- Average Dried Weight: 71 LB/cubic foot
- Janka Hardness Rating: 3230
- Specific Gravity: .90
- IUCN Red List: Yes
- CITES wood: No
Ebony Lumber Data
| Scientific Name | Diospyros celebica |
|---|---|
| Common Names | Amara, Macassar Ebony, Makassar Ebony, Striped Ebony |
| Family | Ebenaceae |
| Genus | Diospyros |
| Higher Classification | Oleeae |
| Rank | Species |
| Kingdom | PLantae |
| Region of Origin | East Asia, Indonesia, South Asia |
| CITES Appendix | No |
| IUCN Red List of Concern | Yes |
| Durability | High |
| Density | High |
| Janka Rating | 3230 |
| Scent | None |
| Average Weight (LB) per Board Foot (KD) | 4.85 |
| Average Board Width (inches) | 4.25 |
| Average Board Length (feet) | 4.75 |
| Average Tree Diameter (inches) | 16.5 |
| Average Tree Height (feet) | 55 |
| Texture | Fine, Uniform |
| Heartwood Color | Black, Brown, Red, Tan |
| Sapwood Color | Cream, Pale, Pink |
| Grain Type | Fine, Interlocking, Uniform |
| Heart/Sap Distinction | Strong |
| Drying Difficulty | Checks easily, High |
| Commercial Availability in US | Low |
| Cutting Ease | Blunts tooling, Low |
| Glue Difficulty | High |
| Color Tone | Calico, Striped |
| Stability | High |
| Finish Difficulty | Low |
| Thickness Availability | 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 8/4 |
| Plain Sawn Availability | Yes |
| Quartersawn Availability | Yes |
| Live Sawn Availability | Yes |
| Veneer Availability | Yes |
| Grades Available | #1 Common, #2 Common, Select |
| Milling Available | Edge Glue, Gang Rip, Rough-sawn, S2S, SL1E, SL2E |
| Millwork Wood | Rarely |
| Birdseye Figure | No |
| Curl Figure | Rare, Yes |
| Quilt Figure | No |
| Flame Figure | Rare, Yes |
| Furniture Wood | Yes |
| Turning Wood | Yes |
| Flooring Wood | Rare |
| Guitar Wood (Acoustic) | Yes |
| Guitar Wood (Electric) | Yes |
| Price | $$$$ |
| Similar Species | Mun Ebony, Pale Moon Ebony |
Macassar Ebony Lumber Growing Region
Ebony as an Exotic Wood
Although Diospyros lumber comes from several areas, all are rare, high value hardwoods. Not surprisingly, it is similar to rosewood in scarcity & desirability,
According to Wikipedia:
Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, most commonly yielded by several different species in the genus Diospyros, which also contains the persimmons. Ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely-textured and has a mirror finish when polished, making it valuable as an ornamental wood.
Amara Wood
Specifically, Amara or Macassar, Ebony lumber grows in South East Asia. Additionally, this variety of the Diospyros genus has striped contrasting colors, similar to well figured Black Limba.
Is It Endangered?
Significantly, Amara is more plentiful than African Gabon, However, it is classified on the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable.
A vulnerable species is a species which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as likely to become endangered unless the circumstances that are threatening its survival decrease and reproduction of that species improve.
source: Vulnerable Specie (Wikipedia)
Significantly, Amara is not listed on CITES. Clearly, there is not a consensus on the long term health status of Macassar.
Taylor Guitars and Gabon Wood
Perhaps no one in the world has been more focused its health & sustainability than Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars. As a maker of ebony fret boards and a good citizen of Planet Earth, Taylor has a vested interest in Ebony’s long term health.
Accordingly, Taylor bought ownership in a Cameroon sawmill in 2011. However, it was more than a supply chain pivot. Rather, Taylor jumped into the deep end of African politics, diplomacy, international labor and culture issues. I strongly suspect harvesting wood was the easy part!
How to Finish Macassar Ebony
Considering the high cost of ebony wood, proper finishing is important. Like many rosewoods and other tropical woods, ebony already contains natural oils. Thus, there are
For a shiny slick finish that accentuates the streak contrasts, consider the following finishing methods:
- Danish Oil. However, it does darken the color a bit.
- Superglue / Cyanocrylate. Apply it using a lint free cotton cosmetic pad. This is ideal for smaller projects like knife handles and turnings. In addition to a smooth durable finish, the superglue prevents checking and stabilizes the ebony.
- Polyurethane, water-based. Wiped it down with acetone and satin waterbased polyurethane.
Why is Ebony So Expensive?
6 Reasons Why Ebony is an Expensive Wood:
- Strong Demand Consumers demand Diospyros wood products. Similar to koa wood, it signifies wealth and luxury. Interestingly, this is not a recent phenomenon. Egyptian pharaohs used it to display wealth. Accordingly, it maintains a luxury status today unlike most other hardwoods,
- Limited Growth Areas All varieties of Diospyros have somewhat limited growing areas. Macassar has a much wider harvest region than Gabon. However, its native area is a relatively small region in Southeastern Asia. Additionally, trees grow singularly rather than in groups. Finally, their growth is spread out over Indonesia’s small islands. Thus, harvesting is logistically difficult.
- Historical Significance In addition to ancient Egyptian royalty, European nobles valued it as a luxury wood, too.
- Slow Growth Cycle Gabon trees have a lackluster maturation span of 60-200 years. Significantly, this limits the marketable supply of ebony logs.
- Unique Color Gabon is prized for its uniform jet black color. However, Makassar is valued for it unique striped appearance
- High Wood Density Its extreme density is unique among hardwoods. Although, wood density does not always correlate directly with pricing, it sets ebony apart from most other woods.
How Expensive is Diospyros Wood?
The board foot price of most varieties of Diospyros lumber cost s from $75-$200/per board foot. High quality or large dimension cuts command extremely high prices.
Unfigured grain Amara runs approximately $80/board foot as of January 2020. However, prices have increased significantly over the past decade. Possibly, this is in response to supply difficulties of Gabon.
Likely, it is the most expensive of all commercially known hardwoods.
Ebony Lumber ffxiv
If a wood from the Diospyros genus is too expensive for your budget, there is a virtual option. Players of the online game Final Fantasy XIV buy and forage for the exotic wood.
As a traditional lumberman, it’s not nearly as satisfying as the physical wood. However, at least it represents the wood products industry.
Below is lumber-related video from ffxiv. You be the judge.
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