What Is Curly Koa Wood

The grain is interlocked which often causes curly figuring.

What is curly koa wood.

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. Uses of 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.

It is often compared to walnut however it weighs about 25 more and its interlocking grain. Old growth trees contain the most figured lumber. The grain is interlocked which often causes curly figuring. Koa lumber with a premium curl can strain your wallet for 60 to 120 bf depending on the intensity of the figure and the reputation of the exotic wood dealer who is selling it.

The most beautiful koa wood as a wavy fluttering cross grain pattern called curly which is sometimes referred to as fiddle back. Koa may be the most spectacular hardwood in the world. 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. With the tree endemic to hawaii only and with supplies dwindling koa is likely to be rather expensive.

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. Curly koa is also unmatched in price with highly figured material for guitar sets priced as high as 150 bf. Koa has a lovely natural color and is generally reddish to dark brown. Koa wood is famous in hawaii for many reasons one being its decorative array of colors and grain texture.

Also boards of highly figured and or curly koa can command fantastic prices. It also contains sapwood abundant from top to bottom. Koa is a hard wood and has high crush resistance and shock absorbance. It also comes with a golden luster and darker streaks.

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. Old growth trees contain the most figured lumber. I know of no other wood possessing the chatoyancy or range of colors of koa. Thus the supply of koa wood depends significantly on storm frequency.

The different colors of koa wood are influenced by the tree s age the type of soil and level of ele. Curly fire and tiger koa are the rarest each displaying unique characteristics resembling their given names. Koa is a hardwood and has high crush resistance and shock absorbance. Koa wood is basically used to make fine furniture.

The reddish wood is very similar in strength and weight to that of black walnut juglans nigra with a. The spirit of the volcano lives in this tree and radiates from the lumber. The grain of this tree is interlocked which causes the wood s natural curly figure.