Ebony knife handles

Ebony is a hard and compact wood that is obtained from over 250 different species of trees of the Diospyros genus, of the Ebenaceae family.

Diospyros are also popular fruit trees, such as persimmons and plums. The most appreciated ebony in cabinet making is that of a uniform black color and very fine grain, because it combines a high aesthetic value with physical characteristics that make it suitable for the creation of many artefacts: statuettes, furniture, cabinetry, piano keys, flutes, clarinets , guitar keyboards and bridges, knife handles.
At Coltellerie Berti we use Gabon ebony (Diospyros Crassiflora) which comes from the African rainforests surrounding the Gulf of Guinea: Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon.

It is a tree that can reach 20 m in height with a diameter of 40-70 cm without branches in its lower third.
The only selection used for the handles of our knives is the one obtained from the very dark gray heartwood (central part of the trunk), free from streaks. To obtain a perfect black color it is necessary to oxidize the ebony wood by subjecting it to a slow seasoning; to facilitate it, the heartwood is cut into small pieces, the heads are sealed and it is stored in an environment not subject to temperature changes.

It is a wood with notable physical properties, hard, difficult to work, but resistant to both impacts and bending.
It also shows great resistance to attack by fungi, insects and atmospheric agents.