Ebony
Diospyros ebenum
Also known as African ebony, Gaboon ebony · Botanical Diospyros spp.
Revision history
- — Data re-verified in site-wide audit (formulas, sources, durability classes)
- — Working properties and comparable-species data cross-checked against listed sources
About Ebony
Ebony (Diospyros ebenum) is a hard, wear-resistant timber that is heavy going on tools, with a Janka hardness of 2,430 lbf (10,809 N) and a density of about 0.9 g/cm³. It grows in India and South Asia.
Radial 5.5% against tangential 6.5% is an unusually even T/R ratio of 1.18 — Ebony shrinks close to uniformly, which is why it holds a flat panel in exterior joinery and cladding. Its fibre saturation point is near 25%. Below it the wood shrinks steadily — 6.5% tangential, 5.5% radial. Ordinary territory: design the gaps rather than hoping the finish will hold it.5% tangential against 5.5% radial, quartersawn stock will behave noticeably better than flatsawn.
At 900 kg/m³ a cubic metre of Ebony weighs about 900 kg air-dry — that figure, the 6.5% tangential and 5.5% radial movement and the 2,430 lbf hardness are the three inputs the calculators below actually consume. Select Ebony in any of them to get species-specific results for weight, moisture, shrinkage and hardness.
Working properties
How Ebony behaves at the bench and on the machine, drawn from international wood-technology databases and historic timber-trade references.
Durability & use classification
Ceylon Ebony is rated very durable (EN 350 Class 1). Its practical constraints are commercial rather than technical: although this was the original ebony of commerce, it is now seldom available, prices are very high, and export is restricted in both India and Sri Lanka due to past exploitation. IUCN lists it as data deficient. The dust is a recognised sensitiser.
Typical applications & suitability
Indoor — A specialty and decorative wood, not a construction one — it is bought by the piece for colour, density and polish. Available only in small sections.
Documented end-uses: musical instrument parts (piano keys, fingerboards, bridges, nuts), inlay and marquetry, carving, turned objects, chess pieces, knife and tool handles, door knobs, and high-end furniture detailing.
Comparable species
Species closest to Ebony by density, hardness, stiffness and bending strength, computed directly from the Vriksai species dataset rather than hand-picked.
Trade alternatives. Its usual stand-ins are Gaboon and Macassar ebony (other Diospyros), or African Blackwood — commonly confused with ebony but actually a rosewood. For dark decorative work at lower cost, Wenge.
Alternatives to Ebony
Ebony measures 2,430 lbf Janka at 0.90 g/cm³, EN 350 durability Class 1, movement rated Excellent. Anything replacing Ebony outdoors has to hold Class 1 durability and carry the load — so nothing below that class appears here, however well it matches on hardness. Read the numbers against the Janka scale and EN 350 durability classes.
For decking, marine work and structural exposure where the surface takes impact as well as weather. Expect slower machining, faster tool wear and more weight to handle on site.
Lighter sections, easier fixing and lower freight per m³ — while holding the exterior durability class. Useful where the spec is over-engineered for the actual load.
If Ebony is unavailable and the specification cannot change, these are the nearest substitutes across hardness, density, movement, stiffness, bending strength and durability class together — not on any single property. Lower distance means a closer match.
Computed from measured properties only — hardness, density, movement, stiffness, bending strength and EN 350 class. Price, availability and appearance are never inputs. Figures are representative values, not consignment absolutes: two species within a few percent are equivalent until verified on the material. Full method and the rules the engine cannot break.
Substituting outdoors is a match on durability class and movement first. Colour and grain can be matched later; a wrong durability class shows up as a callback in three monsoons. Where two candidates are close, compare them directly before specifying.
Compare Ebony side by side
The pairings below are the ones that actually come up in exterior and structural tendering. Every pairing shows the measured figures side by side; full matrix in the comparison index.
Calculators relevant to Ebony
Sized for exterior and load-bearing work in Ebony — spans, fixings, weathering gaps and freight weight. Full set in the tool index.
Understand the figures
Janka hardness scale — how the lbf figure is measured · Wood density reference — oven-dry vs air-dry basis · Moisture content — EMC, FSP and service conditions · Strength properties — MOR, MOE and what they govern.
Further reading. Wood moisture content explained · How to calculate board feet.
Common questions about Ebony
unverified no published source for this figure · calc derived from the figures above · — no published source found
A note on these figures. We have not been able to trace the numbers above to a named authority for Diospyros ebenum specifically. PROSEA covers the genus, but its detailed timber records are for D. celebica (Macassar ebony, Sulawesi — 1010–1270 kg/m³) and D. blancoi, not for the Ceylon species; the Wood Database and the USDA FPL do not list D. ebenum either. “Ebony” is a trade name covering many Diospyros species whose density ranges from about 900 to 1270 kg/m³, so figures published for one are not transferable to another. Treat these as indicative. If a number here matters, verify it for the exact species you are buying.