Natural Ebony
We have a deep concern for our traditional wood species.
Many of these beautiful woods are depleted from over-use and destructive forestry practices, and their populations are shrinking. Additionally, the human populations in these areas have suffered from the over-harvesting practices and have found their way of life, food-producing capabilities, and ecosystems devastated by indiscriminate harvesting techniques.
As such, we sought options among the non-endangered woods that are available. Our Ebonized Pau Ferro utilizes a non-endangered species, but clients have been asking if we might find a way to offer the real thing in a process that would not harm, or even might benefit, the remaining stands of Ebony. With this in mind, we've come up with a responsible, creative solution, one that might just change the way you think about traditional Ebony.
First, we searched for organizations that are on the forefront of endangered wood preservation, and found two that that are working with innovative solutions: Tree-Nation and the Congo Basin Institute.
These both work on reforestation, not of just the trees themselves, but of the entire forest ecosystem, restoring the forests to their original condition.
Additionally, they support the local residents with employment, agricultural assistance, and ecosystem reclamation to bring back the forests in a responsible manner.
Tree-Nation in Ala Reserve Forest, Nigeria
We are supporting Tree-Nation's Restoration of Ala Forest Reserve in Nigeria, which has so far planted over 8,500 trees in the area.
Ala Forest Reserve, in the Gaboon Ebony's native habitat of central and west Africa, stands as one of the most degraded forest reserves in southwest Nigeria.
This project, with local communities, has undertaken the initiative to restore a portion of this degraded forest, commencing with 2,000 hectares as a starting point.
Congo Basin Institute's Ebony Project
The Congo Basin Institute, in partnership with UCLA and Taylor Guitars, sponsors the Ebony Project, dedicated to preserving and increasing the population of Gaboon Ebony and the surrounding flora and fauna, as well as supporting the area's human inhabitants.
Their ecological research, local community support, and reforestation work are vital to the preservation and regrowth of this ecologically crucial area.
The Congo Basin Institute, in partnership with UCLA and Taylor Guitars, sponsors the Ebony Project, dedicated to preserving and increasing the population of Gaboon Ebony and the surrounding flora and fauna, as well as supporting the area's human inhabitants.
Their ecological research, local community support, and reforestation work are vital to the preservation and regrowth of this ecologically crucial area.
Raw Ebony blocks
Second, we re-thought the use and color of Ebony.
Ebony itself is actually rarely all-black, as it typically has stripes, inclusions, and marbling in its coloration.
In fact, only about 10% of Ebony trees have all-black wood, and the typical harvesting technique has been to cut down Ebony trees to check the color of the wood and leave the non-black logs on the forest floor, leading to rapid depletion of the Ebony stands.
While the colored Ebony has a different look, it retains all of the tonal characteristics of the all-black specimens, and can actually be more visually interesting.
With this in mind, we are offering Natural Ebony, non-colored, with all of its color variations. We think the extra splash of marbling, stripes, and streaking adds an extra dimension to this remarkable wood, while contributing to the idea of a more responsible use and harvesting of Ebony.
We will still offer Ebony in its all-black form here. Do understand that as this is rarer, and they often have to undergo coloration, an added cost will be involved. You can find them here at the store.
Also, do note that, due to international shipping issues, genuine Ebony will be offered only in the US. International customers will receive ebonized Pau Ferro.
We hope you'll love our new Ebony wood offerings. The Natural Ebony gives a wide range of coloration, and they add an extra dimension of appeal to your instrument, along with the characteristic Ebony sound.
With an eye towards stewardship of this magnificent wood, we're proud
to be a part of the efforts to help ensure that Ebony will be available for generations to come.
Visit our gallery here, and check out the store page here, and we look forward to helping you find your perfect chinrest.
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