What Is Curly Koa Wood

This wood species is not listed in the cites appendices and is reported by the iucn as being a species of least concern.

What is curly koa wood.

Koa wood is known for the deep rich colors and varied grain patterns. It also comes with a golden luster and darker streaks. Koa is a hard wood and has high crush resistance and shock absorbance. Koa wood is famous in hawaii for many reasons one being its decorative array of colors and grain texture.

The trees that are figured tend to be rare mutations as i have found woodlots with trees from the same seed stock soil water supply and sun exposure where one tree is curly and all of the rest are plain. The different colors of koa wood are influenced by the tree s age the type of soil and level of ele. The grain is interlocked which often causes curly figuring. The grain is interlocked which often causes curly figuring.

Koa may be the most spectacular hardwood in the world. Koa wood is basically used to make fine furniture. The spirit of the volcano lives in this tree and radiates from the lumber. Only 10 of all koa is curly today koa is so highly regarded for its beauty that land owners find it a profitable revenue source even more so than cattle.

Koa has a lovely natural color and is generally reddish to dark brown. It also contains sapwood abundant from top to bottom. I know of no other wood possessing the chatoyancy or range of colors of koa. 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.

The grain of this tree is interlocked which causes the wood s natural curly figure. Old growth trees contain the most figured lumber. Curly fire and tiger koa are the rarest each displaying unique characteristics resembling their given names. With the tree endemic to hawaii only and with supplies dwindling koa is likely to be rather expensive.

The problem with koa is that it only grows on one set of islands in the world only well on one island and only at its best at higher. Also boards of highly figured and or curly koa can command fantastic prices. Koa is a hardwood and has high crush resistance and shock absorbance. Olo the longest surfboards were made from the lighter and more buoyant wiliwili erythrina sandwicensis.

Curly figure can be present in many species among them koa all maples walnut ash oaks and even ebony. Thus the supply of koa wood depends significantly on storm frequency. Koa wood is known for its deep rich colors and varied grain patterns. The reddish wood is very similar in strength and weight to that of black walnut juglans nigra with a.

The most beautiful koa wood as a wavy fluttering cross grain pattern called curly which is sometimes referred to as fiddle back. Uses of koa wood. Old growth trees contain the most figured lumber.