# Finishing Texas ebony



## panch0 (Nov 4, 2009)

I have a piece of Texas Ebony that a friend has had in his shop for three years. I know it is a dense wood and does not need stabelization. I am thinking of using it for a knife handle and was wondering how to finish it. I am thinking of putting three teak oil finishes and a couple of bees wax and then buffing. I will have hand sanded to 600 grit before the finishing treatments. What do you guys think?


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

Sounds OK to me,, Pancho...but I think you could skip the teak oil. Ebony is so dense that I doubt it would soak up anything. Might try some of Bobbys car polish after sanding.. (has a little grit to it and will follow up 600 and take it to about 1200) then wax and buff.

.02


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## panch0 (Nov 4, 2009)

Sounds good, Thanks for the Bobby's polish tip. I havn't tried/heard of that one.


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## bill (May 21, 2004)

If it's just to look at, then many finishes would work well but if your going to use it, I would avoid wax or anything that makes it slick. Wax will come off in your hand and be messy and dull looking all the time. I have used and know many that use tung oil on the handles but still they need to be cleaned well.


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## panch0 (Nov 4, 2009)

Here is the one that I used Texas Ebony on. I just sanded to 600 grit, two teak oil finishes and the buffed. It really is some beautiful wood to work with.


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## 3192 (Dec 30, 2004)

Man that looks nice! That TxEbony is some pretty wood isn't it? You might try a scrap piece(to see if you like it) and sand it with 120-180-220 garnet. Then switch over to 320-400-600-1000 wet dry. Dip the wet/dry paper in MinWax #209 Natural Oil and 'wet' sand it with the oil. P--keep 'em coming. EXCELLENT work! gb


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## panch0 (Nov 4, 2009)

Thanks for the tip GB!


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## dicklaxt (Jun 2, 2005)

Somewhere in the past I have read about TE being a very brittle wood and it has tendacies to chip and crack over time when in small thin pieces,,,,,,,,,,,,don't know where I read that maybe a friend of mine in SA who turns a lot of it told me,,,,,,,just a heads up ,right on GB its some pretty stuff, have you ever turned a bowl from it,they are stunning.

dick


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