Well last week I was gifted something I had never heard of and will now share my first experience. A gentleman came into the demo at the Ag museum last week and gave me some Azobe wood. It was used on railroad crossings and is exteremely hard at 3220 Janka hardness, about the same as ebony. I turned a piece to make a top and it took me three times as long as it usually done and dulled my gouge so bad it would hardly cut cherry. I will take some pics tomorrow, https://www.wood-database.com/ekki/

Well I got the chance to give this a real shop test. It is very hard with a Janks rating of 3220 which is right next to ebony. It is also very hard to sand , just a bit past dry white oak on that. It seems to have an open grain and the sanding dust shows in every pore. When sanded to 3000 does not even look like it needs finish. Will have to see how this holds up.

note there is a crack but I wanted show the smooth cut the forstner got. 

no finish here yet . Not to see if dust can be removed , compressed air did not do it.

1 minute ago, Gerald said:

compressed air did not do it.

Would have been my 1st choice as well.  Grain looks great as it is though.  Maybe embrace it and apply finish?  

That does look nice Gerald.

I was gifted a piece of wood that looked exactly like that but I didn't know what it was.  It was very hard and hard on tools.  It had so many hairline cracks in it that I ended up throwing it away.  I wasn't turning back then.  Yours looks nice.  I would bet a bit of wax is all you need for a finish on that. 

Edited December 20, 20196 yr by HandyDan

brass wire wheel to remove the dust from pores?   brass should be plenty soft enough but still strong enough to life and separate the two.

Rub it down with some denatured alcohol. Sometimes the dust in the wood pores just helps fill in the pores though. Rather like pumice dust and French polish. 
Paul

Well the look actually kinda grew on me so buff with Tripoli and then carnuba wax. The process darkened the dust some and gave it a high gloss. May go back and try the alcohol.

That has a nice look to it in the picture Gerald.

Looks great Gerald.  Must be one of those woods with a lot of silica in it dulling the tools. 

That's one nice looking piece, Gerald. You might try acetone or lacquer thinner. But, it looks good now.

Wow. That is really nice. I vote to keep the speckling. I think the effect is beautiful. 
Paul

Tried alcohol on a top I made from it and it does get a lot of it out but I am beginning to like it with the specs on it.

I love the colors.  Those specs are a real attraction.  I also like the turning very much.  It looks like a little vase.  

 

I was wondering about burnishing some CA glue on it for a finish.  I wonder what it would look like.  

Or use glow juice. Either way it will be nice with a high gloss finish. 
Paul