What Is Koa Wood Used For

The koa has minerals in it that make it abrasive when you try to work with it hearne notes.

What is koa wood used for.

If you want to purchase koa wood be sure to look for a reputable dealer or supplier to get the best value. Koa wood is legendary in hawaii. The koa s trunk was used by ancient hawaiians to build waʻa dugout outrigger canoes and papa heʻe nalu only paipo kikoʻo and alaia surfboards were made from koa however. As koa is a tonewood it is also used to make musical instruments such as ukuleles acoustic guitars and steel guitars.

Koa lumber is available in 4 4 and 8 4 thicknesses but rarely in slab form. Koa has honored heritage in hawaii and is highly revered and sacred. The wood is still very much prized in wood craft and is high in demand being one of the most expensive woods in the world. Olo the longest surfboards were made from the lighter and more buoyant wiliwili erythrina sandwicensis.

Koa wood is diverse and complex with an incomparable appearance. The word koa means warrior in hawaiian. Besides fine furniture and musical instruments koa is used for small crafts turnings carvings and decorative veneer. The best koa acacia koa can be found specifically on higher elevations of the big island and take 50 to 70 years to mature.

Currently the wood we use at hawaiian accessories is from honakaa which has a dark red look. It is native to hawaii and can only be harvested from the islands which is why it is very expensive. There is also a market for the wood in japan. Koa is indigenous to hawaii and unfortunately koa forests have depleted drastically over the years.

Believe it or not the koa tree only grows on the larger islands of hawaii koa trees actually grow in soil from hawaiian lava. So the sound quality and the look makes koa guitars highly sought after instruments. Koa is also a tonewood and used in modern musical instruments such as ʻukulele acoustic guitars some electric guitars and weissenborn style hawaiian steel or lap guitars. That s why koa instruments are usually limited editions.

The warriors of king kamehameha the great cr. Not only is this amazing wood native to hawaii but it is known for the deep rich colors and varied grain pattern. Koa wood is one of the most beautiful and the most widely used for furniture and musical instruments. The reddish wood is very similar in strength and weight to that of black walnut juglans nigra with a.

The color spectrum and swirling grain pattern is as wide as it is breathtaking from varying reds to cinnamon browns and bold charcoal streaks. In hawaii koa is used to make canoes surfboards and bodyboards. What makes this wood so unique. As a result the price of koa wood has soared to upwards of 500 a set meaning that for the most part it simply isn t viable for mass market production.