I rather enjoy Ebony. It's an interesting wood and works quite nicely for handle scales. In fact, the oldest knife in my collection, a Simmons pen knife from the 1930's, has Ebony scales and they've held up remarkably well.

Shown here is my new GEC Tidioute Cuban with Ebony wood handle scales. This knife...as you would expect...is immaculately executed. Each facet of the knife is very well done and I have no doubt that with some basic care, this superb piece of pocket cutlery will last every bit as long as my rather ancient Simmons knife.

By the way, I got this from Northwest Knife Company/Gary Norton (also an iKC member!). Hands down, Gary is one of the very best people to deal with on the planet. I've bought a bunch...and I mean "A BUNCH" of knives from him and every single transaction is a great experience. If you haven't checked him out, you should. His eBay handle is "putzee"...or you can save a few bucks by going directly to his web site; www.northwestknifecompany.com.