Identifying ebony

[Regis]

Does anyone have a technique to help identify ebony. I have recently mistaken some kind of synthetic frog for well polished ebony. If anyone has a non-distructive test, I'd sure like to know.

tx,

Regis

[Kevin Miller]

I was going to suggest setting it on fire to see if it turns into a pile of ash or into a puddle, but I suppose that isn't non-destructive.

[jackc]

If you have a loupe, or other magnifier, you should be able to tell any wood from plastic by looking at the end grain. On a bow frog, that would obviously be at the back end. But you might get a better look by checking the wood inside the ferrule, since it probably would have no finish on it.

I'm going to go try that...

...well, it's hard to see any pores in ebony, but I was just using magnifying reading glasses. Maybe if you scrape the end grain inside the ferrule a bit. It wouldn't show there.

[violinmark]

I think that if you heat a pin red hot

poke it in the subject in an inconspicuous spot.

If the smoke smells like:

burning wood = wood

burning plastic=plastic/bakelite

burning hair = ivory

burning flesh = you missed, apply ointment to finger

[sweetmusic]

I've been told several times by persons with more experience than myself is the way to tell good ebony is by the smell of it. Scratch a little of it and hold it up to your nose. If it smells like dog poop, it's good.

[jackc]

But what if your frog is actually made of ossified dog poop? Then what? Is that 'synthetic' ebony?