I just watched a YouTube video on a newish product called Obsidian Ebony.
True Gabon Ebony is expensive and not that easy to come by, as it's also endangered. This product is designed as an alternative, though I haven't compared pricing yet.
This product is best suited for plugs, splines, decorative inlays and such. As in larger pieces it's not as passable due to it's lack of Brown streaks common in real Ebony.
Ebony is quite brittle and this product is similar, though not quite as brittle as real Ebony. It seems to polish up to the same dull glow as actual Ebony. It's just more uniformly Black than real Ebony.
It's generally made from Maple, though some companies are also using Birch. I think Maple would be better suited, as it's a denser, harder wood than Birch.
It's made by thermally modifying Maple (or Birch) to a dark Black/Brown color throughout the entire thickness of the wood. This process is also known as torrefaction. After the heat modification, the wood is infused with colored resin under pressure. It not only gives a consistent color throughout the grain, but also stabilizes the wood to a large extent.
I'm planning on building some game boards soon, and am thinking of trying this product out as an inlay strip. Hopefully more to follow.
https://sustainablebiz.ca/thermalwood-canada-sees-obsidian-as-sustainable-alternative-to-ebony#:~:text=Obsidian is produced by taking,and tonal characteristics of ebony.