What is ebonised wood?
The black ebonised look I have on some of my bowls is actually a very old traditional technique to darken wood.
Ebonizing got its name from its traditional use: turning wood black to appear more like ebony, a rare, dense and durable, naturally insect resistant wood prized in the past for heirloom pieces, and one of the very few woods that is naturally black in colour. A classic example is that the black keys on a piano are traditionally made of ebony.
It’s a wonderful way to turn wood black, as the colour change is actually within the wood, not just sitting on top of it like paint. You can still see all the natural grain and detail of the wood. It also doesn’t fade with time or sunlight so it really is permanent!
How it was discovered
I fancy this technique was discovered by some long-forgotten master woodworker when they dropped a piece of wood into an old vinegar barrel to soak that happened to have some fragments of iron in it. When retrieved, the wood would have turned pitch black … and stayed that way!
The technique hasn’t really changed. I put pieces of iron in a jar with a dilute acid (to form an iron acetate). I then paint this liquid onto the surface of a wooden vessel, where it reacts with the tannins in the wood, turning the surface completely black. It sounds simple. And, with a lot of refinement, it is.
Ebonizing Q&A
Why do I ebonise some of my bowls?
Typically, when I ebonise the outside of a bowl and leave the inside natural, I find it makes a nice contrast and emphasises the natural wood-colours of the bowl.
In the case of bowls that are entirely ebonised, I am wanting to focus the viewer on the form and texture of the bowl and find removing the natural wood hues can help with this.
Will the ebonised black fade over time?
Unlike most modern stains and dyes, which do fade with exposure to UV light,
ebonising is entirely different: it actually changes the wood itself, a chemical reaction within the tannins of the wood. The resulting black ebonizing is totally stable and will not fade over time.
Ebonising will therefore last the lifetime of the bowl.
This is one key reason I chose this traditional technique: just how stable it is.
Will the black fade with exposure to sunlight?
No, the black does not fade with exposure to sunlight. Bowls we have been using in our kitchen for many years appear to be just as black as they were when I first made them.
I should mention though that I don’t recommend putting any of my wooden bowls in a spot where they get alot of direct sunshine as this tends to dry them out which could lead to cracking.
Is ebonising food safe?
To the best of my understanding, yes, ebonising is totally food safe.
Yes, iron acetate is a stage in the process (and you wouldn’t want to drink that) but the acetate evaporates off completely leaving the black iron bound right into the wood. The colour, when the bowl is fully finished, is essentially an iron oxide (like cast iron pans).
The ebonising does not wear off, get washed off, has no odour or taste, and is very stable in the wood. It does not leach out so it does not end up in your food.
If you’ve wondered why I often ebonise the outside of a bowl and leave the inside natural, that is just to make a nice contrast.
How do I oil my ebonised bowl?
When it comes to oiling your ebonised bowl: you can oil it just the same as you would any other wooden bowl.
(I do supply care instructions and oiling recommendations with all bowls that I sell)
Does ebonising work on all different sorts of wood?
Because the ebonising happens as a reaction with the tannins naturally present in the wood, and some woods have a high tannin content while others don’t: some woods ebonise well while others do not.
This is something I’ve had to perfect over years with a small selection of windfallen New Zealand native timbers.
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