Wood is an essential part of our society. We use it for fuel, furniture, perfumes, musical instruments, and various other purposes.
Different types of wood often come with varying prices to meet the diverse needs of people. African Blackwood is among the most expensive types of wood in the world.
African Blackwood is a rare wood species originating from East Africa, also known as Mozambique ebony or Senegal ebony.
The scientific name of African Blackwood is Dalbergia melanoxylon. It is primarily found in the coastal regions of East Africa, including Tanzania and Mozambique. Historical evidence suggests that the use and trade of this wood began with ancient Egyptian civilization around 5,000 years ago.
It was utilized by pharaohs and wealthy families. In fact, two of the oldest artifacts discovered in the tomb of King Menes at Abydos were made from this special wood.
The African Blackwood tree has a dense, glossy texture, with colors ranging from red to pure black. It is often cut into small blocks or logs with a bright yellowish-white sapwood layer. The wood grain is clearly defined to aid in slow drying, which helps prevent cracking.
In ancient Egypt, it was widely used for making furniture and exquisite artworks. It was also used in the construction of temples, such as wooden beams that secured the stones of the pyramids.
Additionally, it was employed in decorating tombs. Recently, Africans have used it to carve everything from utensils to sculptures.
African Blackwood is an extremely rare timber species. It is used in the production of musical instruments and high-end furniture. The populations of this tree species in its native range are threatened by the risk of extinction due to overharvesting, poor conservation plans, and low germination rates.
The appearance of these wood blocks is typically dark, with a purplish-brown color, almost black. It is one of the hardest and densest woods with excellent texture.
It is known that African Blackwood is the best material for making woodwind instruments. Being one of the densest woods, it has ideal resonance for oboes and clarinets that are heard in concert halls around the world.
African Blackwood is a typical small tree species that can only be found south of the Sahara Desert. It grows in the dry savannas of southern and central Africa. This extremely slow-growing tree has a dense heartwood, fine grain, and produces instruments with melodious sounds.
Heavy and hard, African Blackwood is highly valued by artisans for crafting artworks and musical instruments, including woodwind and small string instruments. This type of wood is oily and can limit rust formation on instruments.
Only about 9% of harvested wood is of sufficient quality to make instruments.
In previous centuries, blackwood was used to make handles for European medical instruments. This wood was exported from British, French, and German colonies in Africa and was also used for inlay furniture and artifacts. The tree typically grows to a maximum height of about 15 meters (with an average height of around 8 meters), has a peculiar shape, and does not fully mature until around 200 years old. Most trees harvested today are between 70 and 80 years old. The trunk rarely exceeds 30 cm in diameter, making it difficult to harvest large pieces of African Blackwood from this tree.
The high utility value of African Blackwood combined with its limited supply has made it one of the most expensive woods in the world. Extensive blackwood planting programs have been implemented to ensure future supply.
Not only does African Blackwood grow slowly, but it is also extremely difficult to process, making products made from this wood very expensive for many reasons. This dark wood has a straight, fine grain, but is hard enough to quickly dull cutting tools. African Blackwood typically ranges in color from pure black to deep purple. It is resistant to decay, can withstand heat, and has moderate insect resistance.
The disadvantage of blackwood is that it rarely grows straight in a manner that instrument makers desire, and any defects or cracks render the material unusable. This is why only 9% of African Blackwood collected is processed into musical instruments.
Moreover, from a 10-meter tall tree, at least 70 years old, only about 50 clarinets can be made.
The reason African Blackwood is so expensive is that it comes from a slow-growing tree. It takes about 70 years to grow into a fully mature tree.
The increasing demand for African Blackwood has led to a decline in the number of these trees. According to IUCN reports, this species is considered threatened. The threat to the species’ existence is a primary reason for their high cost. African Blackwood typically costs around $14,000 per cubic meter.
African Blackwood is stable and durable, with resistance to rot. This type of wood also possesses superior characteristics such as heat resistance. Fully mature trees have fire-resistant capabilities.
