why doesnt southwest use ebony anymore??
- Thread starter bbb
- Start date
Ask them
might take 10 years to get an answer....
thought someone on the forum would know...
RBC
Deceased
Just take a few minutes and watch this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bETkREglYs
It will answer all your questions about ebony.
Royce
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bETkREglYs
It will answer all your questions about ebony.
Royce
(I think) Laurie was distressed about the quality of the last batch they took in and didn't like what they saw as becoming available so they stopped taking orders that they couldn't fill to their satisfaction ("temporarily" until they could affordably and legally get some they liked). Macassar is on the CITES "vulnerable" list and Gaboon is just flat out "endangered". I'm sure the Gibson Guitar raid also somewhat colored her thinking also.
Kevin
Last edited:
Yup, friendly and helpful folks there.
What makes you think that?
I talked to laurie regarding ebony and she said they had a batch of it that was cracking so they had to wait until they could get a new source. My understanding of Gaboon ebony is there is only one country now that you can get it legally that being Cameroon. Out of ten trees felled only one will contain the pure black heart wood that everyone is looking for. The Taylor Guitar company has purchased a mill in Cameroon and is trying to get guitar makers to use the not completely black ebony for fret boards etc. to stretch the resource.
We just use stuff up man. Gobble gobble gobble.
Royce:
Thank you for posting this. I wish more stewards of companies that use natural resources for their products think (and act) like Bob Taylor. I 100% agree with him in that we need to change perceptions if we are to stop the wasteful abuse and poaching that goes on just so we can get completely black ebony. Cut down (and leave, to rot) 10 ebony trees for every one found to have completely black wood? That's waste and abuse on a scale not heard of since the 19th and early 20th centuries!
I applaud Bob's efforts. Change the marketplace's perceptions if you want to really effect change and conservation. We as a species can be so tunnel-visioned, not being able to see two inches past our own noses.
-Sean
All black ebony is boring anyway. I have two cues with striped ebony; much cooler to look at, good texture.
I agree, and I'm surprised that all this colorful ebony -- with the streaks -- had been wasted. It's quite beautiful!
I know some of the most striking wood I've ever seen used in a cue have been the streaked ebonies.
-Sean
I like grain but collectors like the gaboon. I have reason to believe that streaked ebony can be made to look like gaboon. Southwest would not do that so its going to be harder to get true gaboon from SW.
That's the problem that Bob Taylor was talking about in his "fireside chat" video (linked by Royce above). This whole "true gaboon" thinking goes right to the heart of the matter -- that perception needs to change, otherwise we're going to destroy the only resource that produces it.
-Sean