Mpingo: The Weight of Black Wood

Mpingo is its Swahili name. In English, it is called African blackwood; instrument makers also call it grenadilla. Its scientific name is Dalbergia melanoxylon. It belongs to the genus Dalbergia, like rosewoods, and the species name melanoxylon means “black wood.” In Korea, it is sometimes called ebony, but it is a different tree from ebony (the genus Diospyros).

Small, twisted, and slow-growing

Its main growing range is around Tanzania and Mozambique in East Africa. It does not grow very tall, and its trunks are often twisted or divided into several branches. Hollow or split sections are also common. As a result, most of the logs that come to Woodway are short pieces, and only some are large enough to be sawn into wide boards.

It also grows very slowly, taking many years to reach a useful thickness.

A wood that sinks in water

The first thing you notice when you pick it up is its weight. Even when thoroughly dried, it is heavier than water and sinks when placed in it. Its structure is extremely dense and oily, so simply smoothing it with fine sandpaper brings out a subtle sheen.

Clarinets and bagpipes

Thanks to its weight, density, and resistance to moisture, mpingo has long been used for woodwind instruments. Clarinets, oboes, and Scottish bagpipes are among the best-known examples.

The Makonde people of Tanzania and Mozambique also carve this wood. They characteristically shape the black heartwood while deliberately leaving some of the light-colored sapwood to create expression.

Seen as boards

When sawn, mpingo has a thin band of creamy sapwood around its dark brown heartwood. The boundary between the two colors is most distinct in live-edge boards that retain the sapwood and in round slices.

When working with it

It is extremely hard, so tools dull quickly. It is best to remove small amounts at a time with a freshly sharpened edge. Its oily nature can make gluing difficult, so refresh the bonding surfaces and test first on a small piece. Because it produces a large amount of fine dust, dust extraction and a dust mask are essential.

Woodway has imported more than 1,000 mpingo logs since 2022. Boards, round slices, and solid log sections are still in the warehouse. Each piece has a different shape, and no two logs are alike.