Ebony,the Dark Knight of Details

摘要

When I saw my first ebony tree in Java more than 30 years ago, I was stunned by its small stature. In a climate where trees grow year-round, this 90-year-old was about 11 in. in diameter. Such stunningly slow growth helps explain ebony's extreme density, why typical boards are so small, and why the wood is so valuable that it's sometimes sold by the pound.