Alright, let me walk you through how I dug into this whole “new ebony” thing everybody’s suddenly chatting about. Started when my buddy Dave showed off his fancy guitar fingerboard last weekend, bragging it was “new ebony.” I’m like – hold up, real ebony’s expensive and rare, right? So what’s this new version?
First move: basic digging
Grabbed my laptop, searched plain “new ebony” on shopping sites. Saw tons of guitar parts and knife handles labeled that way. Clicked one listing – bam! Tiny print saying “Richlite material.” Never heard of it. Dug deeper and realized it ain’t wood at all. Felt like I’d been tricked by marketing crap.
Testing durability (my way)
Next day, I bought a small “new ebony” sample block online. Showed up looking slick – super black, no wood grain. Did my ghetto tests:
- Scratched it with keys – barely a mark
- Dunked it in water overnight – zero swelling
- Rubbed coffee grounds on it – wiped clean easy
Pretty damn tough stuff, I’ll give ‘em that.
The reality check
After scrolling forums for hours, here’s the raw truth:
- It’s compressed paper/resin – basically fancy cardboard
- Cheaper than real ebony (like 1/3 the price)
- No endangered trees cut down
- But… feels cold and plastic, zero wood vibe
Kinda torn – eco-friendly but soulless, you know?
Final thoughts
Bottom line: if you want that classic warm wood feel, skip this. If you need something durable that laughs at weather? Yeah, this fake stuff works. Just don’t call it “ebony” without air quotes. Marketing folks really know how to twist words, huh?
