What Is Hawaiian Koa Wood

Sawyers cannot cut trees at will.

What is hawaiian koa wood. In hawaiian the word koa literally translates to warrior and the name comes from the wood s association with the warriors of kamehameha the great. Koa has honored heritage in hawaii and is highly revered and sacred. By state law you can not cut down live koa trees and there are just not enough of them on oahu for harvest. Koa wood is legendary in hawaii.

The spirit of the volcano lives in this tree and radiates from the lumber. The highest populations are on hawaiʻi maui and oʻahu its name in the hawaiian language koa also means brave bold fearless or warrior. Plain koa or koa that has no changes in color or figure can be purchased from 15 to 20 bf. Visually koa has been compared to mahogany while in terms of working and mechanical properties it has been compared to walnut.

Acacia koa is a species of flowering tree in the family fabaceae it is endemic to the hawaiian islands where it is the second most common tree. The word koa means warrior in hawaiian. If koa is quarter sawn 20 to 50 bf. Currently the wood we use at hawaiian accessories is from honakaa which has a dark red look.

However hawaiian legislation restricts koa harvesting. Prior to moving to hawaii 5 years ago i had no idea what hawaiian koa was. Koa may be the most spectacular hardwood in the world. The best koa acacia koa can be found specifically on higher elevations of the big island and take 50 to 70 years to mature.

At the low elevation the koa tends to be real blond and not have a lot of color or. Typically severe storms damage trees in the big island. Different parts of the island yields a distinctive hue to the color of the wood. Not only is this amazing wood native to hawaii but it is known for the deep rich colors and varied grain pattern.

Rather only dead or dying trees may be processed. Lightweight and buoyant koa was the perfect wood for kamehameha s warriors to make canoes as well as hand to hand combat weapons like the lei o mano made from a combination of. This isn t just any tree but rather a special highly unique rare an. The price of koa may vary as much as any species of hardwood in the world.

The warriors of king kamehameha the great cr. Thus the supply of koa wood depends significantly on storm frequency. Having purchased a hawaiian property known to have koa trees on it i eventually learned that koa is a species of tree that produces wood with a high monetary value and unique color and grain pattern. I know of no other wood possessing the chatoyancy or range of colors of koa.

Koa wood is known for the.