does ebony change color?

[ddadams]

I know that purple heart can change color with sunlight, but is there any way that ebony could or does change color to lighter or darker?

I swear this piece in a cue of mine is getting more brown every week slowly.

 

[cueman]

Ebony will often lighten up in color a little as it dries.

 

[ddadams]

Ebony will often lighten up in color a little as it dries.

Would that be normal? For it to get drier after finished?

 

[BLACHEART42]

Personally I have never had an Ebony cue change color...JER

 

[cueaddicts]

I've never seen it. Maybe something is going on with the finish, causing the effect you are seeing?

 

[cueman]

Would that be normal? For it to get drier after finished?

If left in direct sunlight it might lighten up a little. That is rare once in the cue and finished.

 

[SCCues]

Would that be normal? For it to get drier after finished?

The finish should seal the wood and stop the drying process if the wood was dried properly before the cue was built. So the color of the ebony in a finished cue should stay the same.

 

[cueman]

The finish should seal the wood and stop the drying process if the wood was dried properly before the cue was built. So the color of the ebony in a finished cue should stay the same.

Most of the drying of wood takes place thorough the end grain. So unless the joint is capped it can continue to dry just like it was a square on a shelf.

 

[cuenut]

I know of one cuemaker that has stained maple black. the person he made it for didn't specifically ask for ebony, just black points, and was happy with the end result. Maybe your cue has something similar.

 

[Lexicologist71]

Are you absolutely certain it is ebony?

 

[qbilder]

Two pieces of ebony can differ greatly in shade and both still look jet black, until under a very bright light. Under the bright light you'll see that one is darker than the other, and that they are actually brown rather than black. If you are looking under a bright light, especially the mid-day sun, then you may be seeing more brown than black. You are must consider than ebony is not ebony. There must be at least a dozen ebony species from various regions around the globe that appear to be black, and are all unique from one another. I have even seen katalox from Mexico that was black enough to be ebony. Personally, I prefer Madagascar ebony. It's expensive & is now cut off from export, but it's lightweight in comparison to other ebonies and it's very black. That said, even it can look pale or even brown under the right lighting.