[Crex]

Stick tang or flat/full tang? On a "working" chopper type blade, I like to use horsemat - hard to beat the grip/texture for control. Easier to install on full tang but a little ingenuity and it can be applied to a stick tang.
For looks and real wood, it'd be hard to beat the African Blackwood. Ebony has it's issues as Doug pointed out.
There are some dark browns out there that will go "black" with oil finishes - wenge comes to mind. Doug's advice on wood turner suppliers is a great idea and they may have some alternative woods that would work just fine.