Ebony-Going Going Gone

Have been doing research on ebony along with it's prices and availibility of high grade AA & AAA used in various things such as chess pieces, billiard cues, musical instruments, gun grips, and the like. Seems that hi grade ebony that has been aged well enough to be used in these kind of things is becoming Very scarce. There is a lot of ebony for use available on places like ebay etc, but the problem is that it's not aged enough for quality use. Maybe this is the reason we are seeing many items now being made from rosewood, cocobolo, and the like. Also could be one of the reasons we are seeing many ebonized sets now. Just makes common sense it seems...could be becoming non cost effective to produce products with hi grade ebony due to higher costs, availibility, and scarcity.

Watch this as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anCGvfsBoFY

Now, that fellow has a good head on him. That's the way we have to think about everything as we crowd the planet and strip away the resources.

Excellent post..! It is a real eye opener.

Thanks Guys... That's why I purchased this one while I could as the ebony was such high quality.

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/ya-saw-my-dubrovnik-on-my-drueke-now-my-spassky-fischer-40th-hos

After watching the video you linked first, I must admit that I didn't see this one coming.

It's to my understanding that not many chess sets these days are made of the "true" ebony described in that guitar video.  Most of the ebony is sourced from India, sometimes called Ceylon ebony.  This ebony was traditionally considered to be a little inferior to the other species around the world.  I've read various reports here and elsewhere that ebony chess sets purchased from Indian companies are actually more of a very, very, very dark reddish-brown (one of these days I'll buy a set).  And it often has streaks of lighter color in it.  I think due to the small size of chess pieces Indian turners are fortunate enough to be able to select sections of darker wood from logs with lots of streaking. 

That said, the same phenomenon is occuring in India with this form of ebony, probably due to the popularity of it as an acceptable substitute. 

Additionally, even the traditional cheaper, more plentiful substitute for ebony in a chess set, Shesham wood, is becoming more scarce.  There were recent sanctions placed on the logging of it in certain places.   For the moment, it is in no relative danger, but in 20 or 30 years...

Lol Jack... In 20 or 30 years I'll probably be gone, but my grandson will be rich with my ebony chess sets :)

Thanks for posting. I play guitar so this was very interesting. Love ebony fretboards but looks like we'll all have to get used to rosewood or maple in the future. Unusual for a businessman to think like this. Bravo! Wish more businesses thought this way. Make a profit but do so with intelligence and honor for the product. There was a time when a small but long term profit was enough. Now it's get as much as you can, as fast as you can and the future be damned. I weep for the future.....

I have contacted Chess Bazaar and they do use Ceylon ebony AKA East Indian ebony. 

Jack... Curious... Did they mention how aged it was, cause I've been wondering if any Ceylon ebony is also being ebonized to make it appear less streaky or darker or any new process I may not have heard of ? This is NOT to say it is...

Ceylon link

http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/ceylon-ebony/

Gaboon Link

http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/gaboon-ebony/

From what I've read, the really black ebony, the AAA stuff, hasn't been very readily available for a while and what there is is very expensive, so a lot (maybe the majority) of ebony is dyed these days.

I hate that mankind is destroying the planet's resources like this. Happily, there are lots of antique and vintage chess sets around for people to buy. I have noticed, though, that even antique Jaques sets did not always use pure black ebony, and the pieces sometimes had brown patches.

Here's some of the real deal ebony I purchased from HOS when "Frank" owned it. This Is about 20+ years old. It was Frank's first collector set that he did. There might be a few other of these sets around. Frank at that time confirmed to me it is Gaboon....Notice Frank's Sig and the JOL type label on the box...

Yep... A few base hairline cracks here and there. Triple lead weights used in genuine ebony pieces can do that sort of thing over the years :)

It's very nice, but personally I still prefer the antique sets.

I've decided to sell one of my ebony sets.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111422839272?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1586.l2649

I have read a lot of reviews saying that ebony crack on time, specially on the pices are weighted.

Maybe this is not the best material for a chess set.

Nothing lasts absolutely forever.  The future cracks and chips in my chess sets mirror my own mortality.  (Or at least that's the way I like to think about all my collectibles). 

Think of the aging and cracking as a mark of honor for having survived so long, rather than blemishes. 

@Jack_Burton: I agree 100% with you. I use to play with my "expensive" sets, sometimes even let my kids to play a game with them. Of course, I supervise them.