African blackwood, one of the most expensive woods in the world

Wood is an important part of our society. We use it for fuel, furniture, perfume, musical instruments and other purposes.

Different types of wood often have different prices to suit many human needs. African black wood (Blackwood) is also one of them - this is one of the most expensive types of wood in the world.

African blackwood is an exotic wood native to East Africa, and is also known as Mozambique ebony or Senegal ebony.

The scientific name of African blackwood is Dalbergia melanoxylon . It is mainly found in coastal regions of East Africa, including Tanzania and Mozambique. According to historical evidence, the use and trade of this type of wood began with the ancient Egyptian civilization dating back 5,000 years.

It was used by pharaohs and wealthy families. In fact, two of the oldest artifacts found in the tomb of King Menes at Abydos were made from this particular type of wood.

The African blackwood tree has a dense, glossy wood texture, ranging in color from pure red to black. It is usually cut into small billets or logs with a bright white-yellow wood layer. The wood slab is clearly grained to aid in slow drying, helping to prevent cracks.

In ancient Egypt, it was widely used in making fine furniture and works of art. It was also used in temple construction as wooden braces that held the stones of pyramids in place.

In addition, it is also used in tomb decoration. In recent times, Africans have used it to carve everything from utensils to statues.

The African blackwood tree is an extremely rare timber tree species. It is used in the manufacture of musical instruments and high-end furniture. Populations of this plant in its native range are threatened with extinction due to overharvesting, poor conservation planning and low germination rates.

The appearance of these heartwoods is often dark, purplish brown, almost black. It is one of the hardest and densest woods with a fine texture.

It is known that African black wood is the best material for making wind instruments. As one of the densest woods, it has ideal resonance for the oboes and clarinets heard in concert halls around the world.

African blackwood is a typical small tree that can only be found south of the Sahara desert. It grows in the arid savanna regions of southern and central Africa. This extremely slow-growing tree has dense, fine-grained heartwood and produces musical instruments with a melodious sound.

The black wood is heavy and hard, and is prized by artisans for making works of art and musical instruments, including woodwinds and small stringed instruments. This type of wood has oil and has the ability to limit rust from forming on tools.

The number of trees of sufficient quality to make musical instruments accounts for only about 9% of the harvested wood.

In previous centuries, black wood was used to make the handles of European medical instruments. This wood was exported from British, French and German colonies in Africa and was also used for furniture inlays and turnings. The tree only reaches a maximum height of about 15 meters (average height is about 8 meters), has an odd shape and does not fully mature until about 200 years old. Most trees today are harvested between the ages of 70 and 80 years. The trunk is rarely more than 30 cm in diameter, so it is difficult to harvest large pieces of African blackwood from this tree.

The fact that African black wood brings high value in use while in limited supply has made it one of the most expensive woods in the world. Blackwood tree planting programs have been widely implemented to ensure future supply.

Not only does it grow slowly, African black wood is also extremely difficult to process, so products made from this wood are very expensive for many reasons. This dark wood has a smooth, straight grain, but is so hard that it can quickly dull cutting tools. African blackwood typically ranges in color from jet black to dark purple. Wood is less susceptible to decomposition, can withstand heat and warping, and is moderately resistant to insects.

The downside to blackwood is that it rarely grows straight the way musical instrument makers want, and any imperfections or cracks render the material unusable. This is why only 9% of African blackwood is collected to be cut into musical instruments.

Not to mention, from a tree 10 meters high, with an age of at least 70 years, only 50 clarinets can be made.

The reason African blackwood is so expensive is because it comes from a slow-growing tree . It takes about 70 years to grow into a fully mature tree.

The growing demand for African blackwood has led to a decline in the number of these trees. According to the IUCN report, this species is considered near threatened. The threat to the existence of this species is the main reason for its high price. African blackwood typically costs around $14,000 per cubic meter.

African blackwood is stable and durable, resistant to rot. This type of wood also has superior characteristics such as heat resistance. Fully grown trees are completely resistant to fire.