Ebonized wood

The current batch of paddles are made of Cherry, with accents of Santos Mahogany, Redwood and Western Red Cedar.  In past projects we have used the Amish trick of staining Cherry with white vinegar with steel wool dissolved in it.
This mixture goes on clear and within minutes turns the wood black.  It is like tray developing a black and white photograph.
It works great with Cherry and as we found out today, also works just as well with these other woods.
After two coats of the mixture to even out the stain effect, we let the paddle dry thoroughly.
At this point it has a flat dusty finish.  This is wiped down and it is ready for top coating.