What Is Koa Wood Used For

Not only is this amazing wood native to hawaii but it is known for the deep rich colors and varied grain pattern.

What is koa wood used for.

Besides fine furniture and musical instruments koa is used for small crafts turnings carvings and decorative veneer. In hawaii koa is used to make canoes surfboards and bodyboards. The color spectrum and swirling grain pattern is as wide as it is breathtaking from varying reds to cinnamon browns and bold charcoal streaks. Different parts of the island yields a distinctive hue to the color of the wood.

Koa lumber is available in 4 4 and 8 4 thicknesses but rarely in slab form. The warriors of king kamehameha the great cr. Koa wood is one of the most beautiful and the most widely used for furniture and musical instruments. It is native to hawaii and can only be harvested from the islands which is why it is very expensive.

Believe it or not the koa tree only grows on the larger islands of hawaii koa trees actually grow in soil from hawaiian lava. 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. Wood from acacia trees is also used medicinally and is pressed to release the essential oils for use in perfumes. If you want to purchase koa wood be sure to look for a reputable dealer or supplier to get the best value.

Koa has honored heritage in hawaii and is highly revered and sacred. That s why koa instruments are usually limited editions. Koa wood is diverse and complex with an incomparable appearance. So the sound quality and the look makes koa guitars highly sought after instruments.

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. There is also a market for the wood in japan. 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. 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.

Currently the wood we use at hawaiian accessories is from honakaa which has a dark red look. As koa is a tonewood it is also used to make musical instruments such as ukuleles acoustic guitars and steel guitars. The reddish wood is very similar in strength and weight to that of black walnut juglans nigra with a. The word koa means warrior in hawaiian.

What makes this wood so unique. Olo the longest surfboards were made from the lighter and more buoyant wiliwili erythrina sandwicensis. The best koa acacia koa can be found specifically on higher elevations of the big island and take 50 to 70 years to mature. The koa has minerals in it that make it abrasive when you try to work with it hearne notes.