Can anyone help identify this driftwood? Is it ebony or some other African dark wood?

[cakeass298]

Hi all. Found a few large pieces of black driftwood (my wife thought it was burnt). Cut into it and black throughout with dark brown grain tinges. Hard to cut on the saw. Surface in bad shape but interior solid. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Will C]

I can’t help past it looks tropical to me, but this could be a good place to look:

 

The Wood Database

WWW.WOOD-DATABASE.COM

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Explore the woods, break out of the ordinary. Identifying and using hundreds of woods worldwide.

 

[Squaredy]

1 hour ago, cakeass298 said:

Hi all. Found a few large pieces of black driftwood (my wife thought it was burnt). Cut into it and black throughout with dark brown grain tinges. Hard to cut on the saw. Surface in bad shape but interior solid. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

My immediate reaction was bog oak.  A close-up of the end grain may help.

[david lawrence]

Check out the ely cathedral table

 if big bog oaks your thing you probably  already have 

[Will C]

I steered away from bog oak as the op said drift wood so I assumed it had come from the beach.
 

I know assumptions are the mother of all duck ups but I did it!

[cakeass298]

9 hours ago, Squaredy said:

My immediate reaction was bog oak.  A close-up of the end grain may help.

Best I can get unfortunately 

[cakeass298]

1 hour ago, Will C said:

I steered away from bog oak as the op said drift wood so I assumed it had come from the beach.
 

I know assumptions are the mother of all duck ups but I did it!

Hey Will. Yeah came from the beach, northwest coast of ireland

[Will C]

If you have peat bog close by it could be bog oak. I grew up in the east Anglian fens, we had it there. 

[Squaredy]

12 hours ago, cakeass298 said:

Best I can get unfortunately 

That is not a great photo, but it seems to have the right features for oak.  Ideally get a super clean end on a piece like the picture below, then take a photo.

   You can achieve this type of finish with a scalpel of razor blade with a little care.

 

I think I can see oak's bold medullary rays in your picture but need a cleaner face if possible.

Edited August 9, 2023 by Squaredy

[biggimmer]

Yes it is ring porous and your location would be another indicator for bog oak. As already mentioned a close up of the end grain would really help.

I use true ebony in some of the bows I make and can 100% confirm it isn't ebony. It's density would exclude any chance of floating!