What Is Koa Wood Used For

The best koa acacia koa can be found specifically on higher elevations of the big island and take 50 to 70 years to mature.

What is koa wood used for.

Wood from acacia trees is also used medicinally and is pressed to release the essential oils for use in perfumes. Koa wood is legendary in hawaii. Not only is this amazing wood native to hawaii but it is known for the deep rich colors and varied grain pattern. The color spectrum and swirling grain pattern is as wide as it is breathtaking from varying reds to cinnamon browns and bold charcoal streaks.

Koa lumber is available in 4 4 and 8 4 thicknesses but rarely in slab form. The koa has minerals in it that make it abrasive when you try to work with it hearne notes. 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. Olo the longest surfboards were made from the lighter and more buoyant wiliwili erythrina sandwicensis.

It is native to hawaii and can only be harvested from the islands which is why it is very expensive. Currently the wood we use at hawaiian accessories is from honakaa which has a dark red look. Koa is a high quality wood often used for making instruments koa wood is rare and sought after by many ukulele makers. Besides fine furniture and musical instruments koa is used for small crafts turnings carvings and decorative veneer.

Koa is indigenous to hawaii and unfortunately koa forests have depleted drastically over the years. What makes this wood so unique. If you want to purchase koa wood be sure to look for a reputable dealer or supplier to get the best value. That s why koa instruments are usually limited editions.

Believe it or not the koa tree only grows on the larger islands of hawaii koa trees actually grow in soil from hawaiian lava. Different parts of the island yields a distinctive hue to the color of the wood. 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. So the sound quality and the look makes koa guitars highly sought after instruments.

The word koa means warrior in hawaiian. The warriors of king kamehameha the great cr. Koa has honored heritage in hawaii and is highly revered and sacred. The reddish wood is very similar in strength and weight to that of black walnut juglans nigra with a.

Koa wood is diverse and complex with an incomparable appearance. As koa is a tonewood it is also used to make musical instruments such as ukuleles acoustic guitars and steel guitars. 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. In hawaii koa is used to make canoes surfboards and bodyboards.