Hard and aesthetically highly valued wood

Makassar is a type of ebony from the Diospyros Celebica tree, widespread in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. It is a black wood with brown to honey veining. It is elegant, durable and polishes well. Ebony has a very high density of about 1000kg/m³ and therefore sinks in water. It is one of the most distinctive woods for handles and is highly sought after for its aesthetics and durability, even on very expensive knives. For example, the tiles on the walls of Villa Tugendhat in Brno are made from this wood.