Wikimedia Commons contributor, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Wood Species
Brazilian Ebony
Likely coração de negro (Swartzia/Melanoxylon complex) — not a true Diospyros ebony
- Janka hardness
- 3692 lbf
- Specific gravity
- 1.05
- Workability
- Extremely difficult — very dense, hard on tools
"Brazilian Ebony" is a flooring-trade name with no botanical precision behind it — the wood sold under it isn't related to true ebonies in the Diospyros genus at all. Our best match is coração de negro, closely related to katalox (Swartzia cubensis); some references just lump several similar dark, extremely dense South American hardwoods under this one label, which is exactly why nailing down a single scientific name is a losing battle. Treat the botanical identity here as an informed best guess, not a certainty.
Working Properties
Whatever its precise identity, wood sold as Brazilian Ebony is reported as an incredibly strong material, with some of the highest stiffness (modulus of elasticity) figures ever recorded for a wood. That density collects its toll at the workbench, too — heavy tool wear is the price of admission on any project.
Typical Uses
Flooring, sold specifically as a dark, near-black alternative to true ebony for buyers who want an ebony look without true ebony's cost and scarcity.
Images
Raw Wood: Sujet : Bois - Régions tropicales Numérisation effectuée à partir d'un document original : CD_Techno-Xylotheque - 0069. Appartient à l'en... — Wikimedia Commons contributor, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Images are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under their original open licenses -- see each image's caption for its specific license and attribution.