Ebony v Ebonized wood

Is there any real difference between Ebony and Ebonized wood?

From experience and many responses from actual members on this particular forum, chess sets made from pure ebony wood are prone to develop hairline cracks especially near the base of the pieces over time more likely than ebonized pieces which undergo a chemical type of coloring process and usually with either Boxwood or Maplewood as the two most popular choices used in ebonized pieces. I have few ebony sets but many ebonized wood sets and I haven't really noticed any hairline cracks, yet, in my ebony wood sets. Then again I've been only collecting chess sets, boards, and chess-related equipment less than 10 years now. 

Thanks. I'll keep that in mind.

Thank you, very usefully information.

I really love chess sets and could be inspired to collect a few (my wife doesn’t know it yet)... 

Ebony is pricey and has issues with cracking. Ebonized Boxwood is cheaper. However has issues with wear of the Ebonized stain over the years of playing. Along with it looking my like pen ink or ugly brown color if not Ebonized correctly by the manufacturer. I used to be big on getting Ebonized Boxwood for black side of chess sets. However my views and tastes have changed. I prefer natural dark woods for black except for ebony. Golden Rosewood that is rich in brown color like dark coffee brown is one of my favorites. Rosewood is my favorite go to dark wood for black in chess sets these days.

My Zagreb set in Golden Rosewood. 

My Drueke 820.40 copy in Rosewood.

My two cents; ebony is a beautiful wood, but it is more susceptible to cracking/warping than the "common" woods used for chess sets like boxwood/maple/walnut, it is expensive (and subject to grading; not all ebony is created equal), and it is my understanding that it is harder for the craftsman to work with; personally, I prefer both the white/black pieces to made from the same wood (so that they have the same feel, and so that they can be cared for the same way/share the same fate), and I always go with ebonized (which just means black-stained). There are ebonized sets 100+ years old that still hold their stain and look black as night.

Ebony is famously hard and heavy.  Hardness gives brittleness.  Traditional ebonising is treating wood with ferrous acetate (steel wool and vinegar) and tannin (in the wood, but tea can be added), the solvent for the chemicals is water so getting it to soak in is not really difficult but the more wet the piece gets the more it will have to be dried out again.  Modern finishes are likely to be some kind of solvent stain (which will penetrate only slightly) or a coloured finish (which sits on the surface and will wear in the way that people describe pieces wearing).  Its difficult to imagine the traditional approach being used these days, it depends on a chemical reaction in the wood, stains and finishes are more easily controlled in a manufacturing process.  

What a bunch of crap claiming ebonized pieces are better than genuine ebony. I have gaboon genuine ebony sets that are aged somewhat and/or older and they don’t have one single hairline crack anywhere. Ya get what ya pay for as some ebony sets today use cheaper ebony that has not been even aged properly so they add black stain, the weighting has been done cheaply and improperly, and the quality control sucks, all of which can result in cracking. Obviously another big cause is sets not being cared for properly and not being kept in a stable environment with temperature and humidity. When I was more of a active member back in the good old days (Robb_Chess) I brought to the attention of this forum such things as the renaissance wax and use of special humidity packets for use which very much help in avoiding cracking in those beautiful genuine ebony pieces. Even if they do get a few cracks or minor chips here and there ebony just plays, feels, and plays better period, and just as it was meant to be the old school way. My only exceptions to my preference of genuine ebony wood sets would be my NOJ Dubrovnik or a red and white Staunton pre ban ivory set.So again the moral of the story is ya get what ya pay for.

What are your thoughts on african blackwood?

It’s a cheaper ebony type of wood than original gaboon ebony woods
and easy to turn, hence it’s use...

More can be read here:
https://www.bellforestproducts.com/african-blackwood/

India ink is just pigment (traditionally lamp black according to wikipedia) in a carrier, so no penetration whatsoever.  Given that you'd expect very poor wear resistance.  

I still can't figure out why the finest steel string guitars are built with Ebony fingerboards and bridges,if "quality" Ebony is prone to cracking.

Perhaps because it is very hard, attractive, and traditional.

It is traditional but, it impacts the sound and produces a cleaner tonality.Guitar makers use everything from Rosewood to Micarta....yet, Ebony is the gold standard for this purpose.Btw,guitar bridges are under a lot of pressure.If "quality" Ebony was so prone to cracking companies like Martin or Gibson could have easily moved away from that particular wood.

I just think that the particular Ebony chess mfgrs get their hands on,or grow,is of a lesser quality,or not properly stored......Just my opinion.

I know a guy who gave himself tattoos with India ink.

It faded but for the most part the tattoo is still there. He did it with a BIC ink pen too and it's still there. I won't specify how he did it. It's not the most intelligent way to get a tat.

tattoos are in the skin, not on top of it, quite a different thing.  

Never said it was Greg. So there you go.

He actually wasn't in jail when he did it. And it wasn't a tear drop. It was supposed to be a yin yang but looked more like the Pepsi symbol.

I do tabacco stick and barn wood crafts and I have used the vinegar steel wool method. It isn't all it's cracked up to be.