I'm lucky in that there's an exotic hardwood emporium three miles from my house which carries an insane amount of ebony in all flavors and sizes. Even at that I usually have to pick for a 1/2 hour to find a chunk that is truly black and crack-free.
Excellent advice re: epoxy to fill cracks or hide seams. I too use West System but I take it a step further. I mix the stuff and thicken it to a heavy viscosity with colloidal silica, and then blacken it with ebony sanding dust.
When gluing ebony always thoroughly wash the surfaces with solvent (I use acetone) to remove the surface oils which can interfere with ultimate bonding.
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz
"Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
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