Queens Ebony

[woodrat]

On the weekend I heard of a wood that I was not aware of, its called Queens ebony. I met Bill Paulin at the Brisbane Guitar Show and he used it for a fingerboard on one of his electric basses. He said that it was from the Solomon Islands. Its a lovely Cadbury dark chocolate colour. Does anybody know any more about it?Is it a true ebony? Dyospiros I think they are called. I would welcome anyone's experience with this timber.

John

[Richard]

I've never worked with it but I did receive an email from SitCo a while back advertising the wood. Here's what they had to say:

We call it "Solomon Blackwood" but often refered to as "Queen Ebony" - Queen Ebony name is mostly derived from the generally dark brown to black in colour of the wood, along with it’s remarkable tightly packed grain, density and lustre.

The timber’s scientific name is known as "Xanthostemon melanoxylon"- it is a member of the family Myrtacea.

We are currently exporting this species from the Solomon Islands and importing it into Australia in limited quantities,

Colour: chocolate brown (green m/c 18-20%) to a very dark brown/black and sometimes black(after oxidisation and been dried to moisture under 10%)
Grain: Normally straight with very tightly packed grain-lines *Strength One;

*Durability One;
*Density: 1310 kg/m3 - Moisture content @ 20% (green)- 18.24 kN Janka Hard (4100.5 pound-force)

1231 kg/m3 - Moisture content @ 12% (dry)- 19.44 kN Janka Hard (4370.2 pound-force)


*Shrinkage: 0.4% - 0.8% (from green to dry)

*Silicone/sand content: None

*All data is verified by Queensland Department of Primary Industries (Australia) - Bill Atyeo

This is most likely the second hardest commercially available species in World next to Lignum Vitae.

We have been getting a lot of interest and impressive feedbacks from our Major and Custom luthiers (electric, bass, double bass, acoustic and classical guitars), as well as our Custom Flute and Clarinet makers and wood turners in Australia.

The closest for comparison with this timber species would be of African Blackwood (Dalbergia Melanoxylon), it has very similar properties, density, uses and drying schedule , trees also grows in same environment and have similar resemblence in appearance and growth structure, However the age of Solomon Blackwood trees are mostly older than of African Blackwood.

It has been successfully used as stern tube bearings for ALL the ships in the Solomon Islands for the past 45-50yrs in the same capacity as Lignum Vitae. It is an oily wood or self lubricating wood (for stern tubes bearings) which offers great stability.

It is possible to veneer Solomon Blackwood, it is a very stable timber, bends quite well @ 2.5mm, so suitable for sides of acoustic guitars, has a beautiful tone and glues well.

[graham mcdonald]

Richard

Who are SitCo and how does one get in contact with them

cheers

[Bob Connor]

I've got a fingerboard of that which came from Tim Spittle.

He's got quite a bit of it so he'd be worth contacting.

I might add it's very heavy wood.

[Kim]

Yes indeed Tim is your man, He has guitar sets of the stuff racked out and drying now. As Bob said it is heavy wood but it rings every bit as good as African Blackwood IMHO.

Cheers

Kim

[TimS]

Hi Guys,

I noticed this post and thought it prudent to let all forum members know that Australian Tonewoods is working formally with Sitco Australia making available Queen Ebony/Solomon Blackwood/Pacific Blackwood for string instruments.

The wood xanthostenum melanoxylon has similar tone and colouring to African Blackwood but it is significantly heavier at 1400 kg per cubic metre. Resawing has met major challenges due to high mineral content but does not present any issues with sanding (no clogging). It bends to a quite tight radius without much deforming. There are no current issues with gluing and the wood due to its density can be buffed to a high gloss. With shrinkage levels of 1% or less the material is prone to end checking unless sealed during drying. Colouring can vary from dark brown with a ropey figure to black. Some white areas occur occasionally.


Current availability: Fretboards and bridges. Back and side sets will be available in October. Pricing would be $250 - $285 dependng on colour.

You can pm or email me at tim@australiantonewoods or 0403234800.

Here are the images:

Back set with centre strip: Backsawn
Side set: quarter sawn.













kind regards

Tim Spittle

[woodrat]

Wow! I only posted that 90 minutes ago!
Thank you all for the information. I really liked its colour and I would like to get some. Has it been commercially available very long?

[Richard]

Richard
Who are SitCo and how does one get in contact with them

Sounds like Tim is the one to go to for this stuff for lutherie purposes, but Sitco are a Brisbane timber dealer: http://www.sitcoaustralia.com.au/index.php

[Allen]

Tim sent me home with a fret board from my recent trip to WA as well. It is indeed very nice, and extremely heavy.

[Dominic]

Hey guys, one thing to be concerned about with Solomon Islands wood is the appalling lack of sustainability in their harvesting practises.

In my job we have contact with the Australian mission to the Sols helping them with long term economic growth. Unfortunately it looks like they will have completely logged out their forests within the next 4-5 years after which there is nothing to replace it economically.

Not telling you what you should do but please just be aware that this is definitely a very poorly managed forestry system that is being exploited for short-term gain by vested interests and very little of the proceeds are going to assist the average Islander.

Cheers
Dom

[TimS]

Hi Guys,

Please note that the material sourced from the Solomon Islands through SITCO Australia is purchased by Brian Christie (a Solomon Islander) from the local community who selectively harvest individual trees. All purchasing and export to Australia is done under Solomon Island government licencing agreements.

kind regards

Tim Spittle

[kiwigeo]

Already aware of that Tim...all explained on the sitco website.

[J.F. Custom]

Hey guys, one thing to be concerned about with Solomon Islands wood is the appalling lack of sustainability in their harvesting practises.

This raises an interesting ethical debate and a pertinent one considering the nature of the timbers Luthiers prefer to use. Timber 'should' be a sustainable resource but unfortunately is not due to current practices. Without opening a pandoras box in this thread at least; I just wanted to comment with respect to -

Hi Guys, Please note that the material sourced from the Solomon Islands through SITCO Australia is purchased by Brian Christie (a Solomon Islander) from the local community who selectively harvest individual trees. All purchasing and export to Australia is done under Solomon Island government licencing agreements. kind regards
Tim Spittle

...unfortunately this does not mean it is ethical or sustainable. Government licensing does not equal good practice. Consider that it is estimated that 250'000m3 per year is a sustainable amount from the Solomon forests. The Government has licensed it legal to remove up to 4'000'000m3 per year - 16x that which is considered sustainable. For those interested, you could read a little more here -

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/downl ... NGLISH.pdf

Which leaves us lot with some hard decisions. Another example is the 'Brazilian Rosewood Stumpwood' that became available. This was marketed as sustainable and acceptable as it was the stumps left from heavy logging previously. Unfortunately, it simply created an avenue for the black market traders and other unscrupulous dealers to sell their illegally sourced timber through. So one could never really be sure where their Brazilian rosewood was from...

Food for thought.

Cheers,

Jeremy.

[kiwigeo]

This from the SITCO website:

Our primary commitment to the people and environment who provide us with our products.

Sitco Australia’s role is to effectively market sustainably managed hardwoods and softwoods from a region that has been largely dominated by large-scale logging operations. These companies have unscrupulous reputations, carry out unsustainable forestry practises, and provide what can only be described as totally inequitable benefits for the traditional owners of these forests.

In contrast to this, the direct benefits of the eco-timber industry are already well documented. There are verifiable examples where smaller volumes of timber, when properly marketed, generated revenues in excess of a thousand times more per volume; than what was being earned by landowners under full-scale logging. It is a win-win situation, because the amount of trees cut is sustainable, and the fair-share of profits are actually going to the rightful owners of those trees.

We believe in not only eco-timber, but equi-timber!

In sourcing our timber, Sitco Australia deals exclusively with local forestry tradespeople and small-scale license holding companies in the Solomons. We buy our timber at above market prices, on the proviso that the profits are duly shared with the owners of the forests.

It must be said however, that in the past, other companies have attempted similar undertakings: only to find that it was either: too inefficient, too hard logistically or that sources of timber were not reliable enough to meet trading deadlines.

Sitco Australia has addressed these issues, and has invested heavily in assisting selected individuals with training, equipment, advice and financial support. We have also secured reliable methods of transportation and our regional chain of supply is growing steadily. We are actively seeking partnerships with companies that are willing to comply with FSC guidelines, and have demonstrated to us that they are pro-active in dealing with problems, are organised, and reliable.

Sitco Australia wholly supports the Forestry Stewardship Council, and in turn is actively assisting those companies in the Solomons who aim to achieve certification. We will never compromise our policies to turn a profit. We believe that in time, as more people learn of the superior benefits of this strategy; a new, sustainable and ecologically sensitive industry will emerge as the dominant force in the region.

Help to stop the unethical exploitation of people and the environment by supporting initiatives like the FSC, and supporting companies like Sitco Australia plus others who share the same motivation.

[kiwigeo]

And some guff on the FSC (from their website)....not a governmental body.

FSC is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests.

Established in 1993 as a response to concerns over global deforestation, FSC is widely regarded as one of the most important initiatives of the last decade to promote responsible forest management worldwide.

The FSC label provides a credible link between responsible production and consumption, enabling consumers and businesses to make purchasing decisions that benefit people and the environment as well as providing ongoing business value.

FSC provides a certification system with internationally recognized standard-setting, trademark assurance and accreditation services to companies, organizations and communities interested in responsible forestry.

FSC is nationally represented in more than 50 countries around the world.

[TimS]

Hi Guys,

Just a summary post regarding Australian Tonewoods and Sitco Australia in the harvesting and importation of Xanthostenum Melanoxylon.

The harvesting of this timber is not a "logging" operation. It is a low impact process involving minimal mechanisation (chainsaws), controlled and carried out by local villagers who are relatives of Brian Christie (traditional landowner). All trees are selectively felled. All flitches are cut on site with a chainsaw, carried through the forest by hand to the beach and loaded on a boat and shipped to the capital Honiara.

Currently Sitco is preparing to make application with the FSC through Michael Spencer to obtain certification for the harvesting of Xanthostenum Melanoxylon.

regards

Tim Spittle

[kiwigeo]

Hey Tim....did you receive the loot???

[Dominic]

Hey Tim, I did not mean to cast any doubt about the sources of your timber and I apologise if anyone has taken it that way. Your supplies will not be affected if they are from a well managed forest.

But the fact remains that, on a whole, the Sols will not be able to rely on forestry as its main source of income within the next 5 or so year such is the rate of logging. This is a hard nose economic analysis produced as part of the assistance we provide to our Pacific neighbours.

A sad thing indeed.
Dom

[TimS]

Dominic,

I have no problem with the discussion. It is good to get everything clarified. I also think the issue of provenance and sustainability is increasingly becoming an issue in the selection of timbers. I am not up to date with timber resource projections for the Solomon Islands however Brian Christie has informed me that there has been a major reassessment since 2006. Several logging operations have been shut down as a consequence.

kind regards

Tim

[Dennis Leahy]

Well handled and even headed discussion. Kudos to all, as these are "hot button" issues invoking passion.

Dennis

[woodrat]

I agree Denis. And Thanks to everyone for the enthusiasm with which this thread has been followed. I thought it was a simple question! I must say that it is good to learn about the timber we use and the implications of its collection. It is good to know that the source of this particular timber supply is ethically based.

John

[J.F. Custom]

Hi Guys,

Just a summary post regarding Australian Tonewoods and Sitco Australia in the harvesting and importation of Xanthostenum Melanoxylon.

The harvesting of this timber is not a "logging" operation. It is a low impact process involving minimal mechanisation (chainsaws), controlled and carried out by local villagers who are relatives of Brian Christie (traditional landowner). All trees are selectively felled. All flitches are cut on site with a chainsaw, carried through the forest by hand to the beach and loaded on a boat and shipped to the capital Honiara.

Currently Sitco is preparing to make application with the FSC through Michael Spencer to obtain certification for the harvesting of Xanthostenum Melanoxylon.

regards

Tim Spittle

Hey Tim,

This is welcome news and that method is about as much as one could hope for in any given timber industry. Great work between all of you. Sad to think this is the exception to the rule and to find supplies such as this takes extra work rather than the expectation that it is the 'norm'. Hopefully, this will change... Sooner rather than later or the change in many cases will be a forced hand to the greater detriment of us all. Thanks for your clarification in this instance.

Cheers,

Jeremy.

Well handled and even headed discussion. Kudos to all, as these are "hot button" issues invoking passion.

Dennis

Hi Dennis,

I agree though I like to believe that things won't be taken personally if they are not personal attacks. My comments were not having a go at Tim or Sitco and as such, were not taken in that frame. They were directed at the larger picture of ethical timber supply, the difficulty thereof and the unfortunate reality that things can not always be taken on face value (with reference to the Stump wood or Government Licensing etc). I realize though that some issues do simply get peoples defences raised quickly without necessitation. Happily this did not occur.

Cheers all,

Jeremy.

Oh, and thanks to Martin for the extra Sitco info which I had not bothered to investigate myself

[sampson]

Hi
Really interesting topic guys. Timber sustainability not only in other countries but also in our own backyard, I feel is a subject that has to deal with a number of issues on multiple levels. The logging of old growth forests in Tassie, Victoria and WA historically and now can only be described as an irresponsible financial pillage of a resource that if managed well, could have kept everyone happy!!! Unfortunately we live in a society that promotes this kind of mentality lead by governments that are missing the point on almost everything. They signed an agreement that continues to supply Japan with timber pulp (from old growth forests)that will ensure ill fated timber logging practices (clear felling) well into the next decade!!!!! The Australian Conservation Foundation reports that ;
* Australia has the fifth highest rate of land clearing in the world. We clear more bush each year than poverty-stricken countries like Burma, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and the Congo.
* Australia clears land at the massive rate of over half a million hectares a year.
* The rate of land clearing is accelerating. As much land has been cleared in the last 50 years, as was cleared in the previous 150 years.
* Woodlands are Australia's most threatened, and least protected, wooded ecosystems.
* 85% of all land clearing in Australia happens in Queensland. Victoria has lost more native vegetation than any other state, and Tasmania has the highest clearing rate in proportion to the State's total land area.
* For every tree planted, 100 are bulldozed! Ummm that's going to help global warming!!!!Derrrr.
The WA government have recently reduced the areas that Jarrah can be cut but is way too late!!! These things take 100s of years to grow.
I recently spoke to a person who works in the timber industry in NSW and he still cannot believe that clear felling is allowed. He estimates that he will not be able to obtain lge quality logs in 5 years as they are disappearing at a rapid rate.
Sorry this stuff just fires me up. Greed shits me to tears. I'm at present growing from seed a heap of native trees to just do something that goes against the tide. Viva La Revolution.
Cheers Todd

[kiwigeo]

The ppl that piss me off are the dumb ***ers here in the Adelaide Hills who buy up a block covered in native trees......move in with chainsaws a week later and clear the block...and then realise that they havent got money to build a house and are forced to put the block back on the market. Why bother moving up from the treeless burbs to the hills if the first thing youre going to do is do your best to wipe out all the trees?????

[J.F. Custom]

The ppl that piss me off are the dumb ***ers here in the Adelaide Hills who buy up a block covered in native trees......move in with chainsaws a week later and clear the block...and then realise that they havent got money to build a house and are forced to put the block back on the market. Why bother moving up from the treeless burbs to the hills if the first thing youre going to do is do your best to wipe out all the trees?????

Damn straight.

Or perhaps the developers that demolish the lot, plant a couple back selectively and then call the place -

"Forest Grove" or "Koala Lane" or "Ferntree Hills" or...

Grrrrr...

Jeremy.