I recently built a small box of birdseye maple, with Jewitt's early
American finish on it. The pulls are carved from ebony. I'd like to
make a base for the box, but a base of ebony would be impractical for
me due to the cost and availability of the wood.
So I'm trying to figure out the best methods for ebonizing wood. Both
Flexner and Jewitt's books recommend black dye stain. I tried that
method on a piece of scrap holly veneer (using Behlen's jet black
aniline dye), and it oddly imparted a slightly purplish cast to the
wood.


One method I have not tried that is of fame in the oldest days of gunstock staining
is iron filings / shavings disolved in nitric acid... if you can get the stuff. It will
stain the wood a very dark brown. some time back I asked about it in this NG
because I had remembered a video I saw of a man who is a gunsmith, using all
the oldest methods to make muzzle loaders.

Alex