# Any experience with Malaysian Blackwood?



## Anton (Aug 20, 2013)

Have a blank for a WA handle, about 18 months drying.

Does it need to be stabilized or is it considered a natural hardwood?


----------



## Lefty (Aug 20, 2013)

Never used it, but I'm going to say it shouldn't need stabilizing...I could be wrong. Basically, I just want to say it's friggin' beautiful!


----------



## CPD (Aug 20, 2013)

Malaysian blackwood is a nickname for a variety of true ebony or Asian ebony. Most of the ebony's and rosewood's too, are very dense and hard. You shouldn't need to stabilize them, unless they have burls and defects you are trying to deal with. 

That said - ebony's have a reputation for being really finicky while they dry. They'll check and crack if you're not careful....and even then, they'll torture you with more of the same. 

The loose rule of thumb I've heard is it's about a year of drying time per inch of thickness with the end grain waxed. 

Once dry, they are stabile. At 18 months, if you have no checks or cracks, you're probably good to go on a small piece. If you haven't worked with ebony's before -- be warned: they are tough on tools and being so dense, don't always glue easily either.


----------



## Anton (Aug 20, 2013)

CPD, 
Thanks - this is great feedback and puts me at ease somewhat... It's a super clean piece and it has been in wax for the last 4 months. very SHARP tools is the key.

Now come the decision of what to pair it with... it's like naming a child...? 



CPD said:


> Malaysian blackwood is a nickname for a variety of true ebony or Asian ebony. Most of the ebony's and rosewood's too, are very dense and hard. You shouldn't need to stabilize them, unless they have burls and defects you are trying to deal with.
> 
> That said - ebony's have a reputation for being really finicky while they dry. They'll check and crack if you're not careful....and even then, they'll torture you with more of the same.
> 
> ...


----------



## Lefty (Aug 20, 2013)

Afzelia burl and copper.


----------



## chinacats (Aug 20, 2013)

That is one gorgeous piece of wood!


----------



## cclin (Aug 20, 2013)

beautiful Malaysian Blackwood!! how about a nice marble horn & mammoth ivory to match up....


----------



## Anton (Aug 20, 2013)

Tooth would be too busy.. 

Horn, yes this could be.. maybe.

Also thinking of sandwich between all black blackwood cap and ferrule with nickel spacers... And put onto a Suji Kitaeji yanagiba. Hard to picture...


----------



## CPD (Aug 20, 2013)

Anton said:


> CPD,
> Thanks - this is great feedback and puts me at ease somewhat... It's a super clean piece and it has been in wax for the last 4 months. very SHARP tools is the key.
> 
> Now come the decision of what to pair it with... it's like naming a child...?



Glad to help. If you're looking for ideas, I'd Google Macassar Ebony and either art deco or guitars to see what an image search shows. Macassar ebony has a very similar look. Guitar makers use it as a tone wood sometimes and for art deco period furniture they used to use a ton of the stuff. It looks amazing next to whiter tone materials for contrast. They'd have used ivory, bone, shagreen or pearl...but might work great with micarta or something ike that.... or American Holly if you wanted a white wood (and assuming you can find it, that's stuff's hard to find too). Copper and gold tones get used with it a lot too...so a second to Lefty's copper suggestion.

post pictures when you're done.


----------



## cclin (Aug 21, 2013)

Anton said:


> Tooth would be too busy..
> 
> Horn, yes this could be.. maybe.
> 
> Also thinking of sandwich between all black blackwood cap and ferrule with nickel spacers... And put onto a Suji Kitaeji yanagiba. Hard to picture...



huh?? mammoth ivory(natural white color spacer) is too busy?? I guess you prefer metal spacer more..... I'm little too old for shiny spacer:joec: Happy custom your yanagiba handle!!


----------



## CrisAnderson27 (Aug 21, 2013)

cclin said:


> huh?? mammoth ivory(natural white color spacer) is too busy?? I guess you prefer metal spacer more..... I'm little too old for shiny spacer:joec: Happy custom your yanagiba handle!!



I think he might have thought you meant mammoth tooth, which is pretty busy lol.


----------



## Burl Source (Aug 24, 2013)

Anton said:


> Also thinking of sandwich between all black blackwood cap and ferrule with nickel spacers...


I like the idea of matching one of the colors in the Malaysian Blackwood and a thin metal spacer. My taste would matching it up with the African Blackwood like you mentioned and copper spacers. Maybe even a piece of hammered copper on the front of the ferrule like Butch does.


----------



## Anton (Aug 24, 2013)

It may just end up with Butch ....


----------



## Lefty (Aug 24, 2013)

Great choice!


----------



## mkriggen (Aug 24, 2013)

Anton said:


> Now come the decision of what to pair it with... it's like naming a child...?



I put it with amboyna...


----------



## CPD (Aug 24, 2013)

Burl Source said:


> I like the idea of matching one of the colors in the Malaysian Blackwood and a thin metal spacer. My taste would matching it up with the African Blackwood like you mentioned and copper spacers. Maybe even a piece of hammered copper on the front of the ferrule like Butch does.



That's a nice looking match. If you work with african blackwood though - one word of caution - it dulls everything. It is incredibly dense and heavy. I'm making a handle out of it right now and it's amazing stuff. It polishes to a ridiculous level and looks great once it's been finished but it shakes off 80 grit sand paper like it's a tomato facing a knife blank that hasn't ever been ground or sharpened.


----------

