Gaboon ebony (African ebony)

Overview

Gaboon ebony (Diospyros crassiflora) is jet black, with little or no visible grain and occasional brown or grey streaks. It is dense, polishes to a high lustre and is very expensive. It is now more likely to come from Cameroon than Gabon.

Pros

• Deep, solid black that few other woods match.
• Janka 3,080 lbf, about 955 kg/m3.
• Very durable, with good termite resistance.
• Finishes well, polishes to a high lustre and steam bends well.
• Small pieces suit bindings, fingerboards and inlay.

Cons

• Extremely expensive: Wood Database puts it at about two to three times the cost of most rosewoods.
• Difficult to work; dulls cutters; tear-out on interlocked or irregular grain.
• High oil content can cause gluing problems.
• IUCN Endangered, from a population reduction of over 50% in three generations.
• Diospyros ebony is reported as a sensitizer.

Variants and subspecies

• Diospyros crassiflora: Gaboon, African, Nigerian or Cameroon ebony.
• Other ebonies: Macassar and black-and-white ebony; see Macassar ebony and Ceylon ebony.
• Not true ebony: African blackwood (a Dalbergia), Wenge and Katalox (Mexican ebony) are sometimes used instead.

Working and finishing

Carbide tools and light cuts. Solvent-wipe before gluing. Sand through fine grits and buff; it polishes without a coating.

Staining and finishing colour

Black without stain. Wood Database notes that few woods are solid black unless dyed.

Sustainability and handling

CITES: Gaboon ebony is not listed. Appendix II applies to Diospyros species from Madagascar only (APHIS CITES Timber Species Manual; checked 2026-09-30). IUCN: Endangered (Wood Database). FSC availability is not verified here. The US Lacey Act makes it unlawful to trade wood taken or exported in breach of the source country's laws (fws.gov/law/lacey-act), so buy from dealers who can name the country and species. If a piece will be exported to or sold in the EU, Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 (the EUDR) requires due-diligence evidence that wood products are deforestation-free and legally produced; check its current application date with your buyer.

Ethical call: a poor choice except for small high-value parts; Katalox (Mexican ebony) is a dark, lower-risk wood. Health: Diospyros ebony reported as a sensitizer. The US National Cancer Institute reports strong, consistent associations between wood-dust exposure and cancers of the nasal cavity and sinuses, so use extraction and a respirator when sanding.

Popular projects

Guitar fingerboards and bindings, instrument parts, inlay, knife scales and small turned work.

Buying notes

Bell lists 4/4 shorts at $180.00 per board foot, and Exotic Lumber boards work out to about $184 to $249 (September 2026). Sold in small pieces; many 'ebony' items are dyed wood.