Hawaiian Woods
The State of Hawaii has been gifted with some of the most beautiful woods in the world. Many are extremely rare and on the endangered species list, however, many are available to the wood-lovers world. The most prized and popular is the native wood KOA. A hardwood, growing in the higher elevations (2500-7000 ft), beautifully grained, colors varying from honey gold to cherry reds and dark browns. Some has high quality curly or fiddle back graining or swirls of dark ribbon lines or quite plain in appearance but all has a wonderful tiger-eye quality that allows the observer to see into the wood like a hologram. Koa is traditional: bowls and canoes were the first uses. When the missionaries came to Hawaii the uses expanded to the present which is up to the imagination. Furniture, home accessories and decorations are found throughout the world made of Koa. It is now protected under a moratorium which prohibits taking from government land without a permit. The private land owner can cut, sell or save Koa without restriction and if sold, it is usually by the board foot.
The other woods we work with are Milo, a little bit of Kou, Mango, and Norfolk Island Pine. Milo and Kou are native woods the Mango and Norfolk Pine are not native but definitely grow here.
A little about the Milo: grown along the sea level areas and shorelines, Milo is tolerant to salt, fresh or brackish water. Extremely colorful from light pinks and lavenders to rich dark reddish-brown (almost black) surrounded by a white/gold hard sapwood. The wood is dense, somewhat hard and wonderful for bowl turning, carving etc. Another treasure from Hawaii. Kou is really rare. Almost eliminated by a bug, Kou grows along the coastal areas like the Milo. Its wood is a beautiful chocolate brown with darker ribbons running through it. Lots of movement in the grain. Bordered by the white/gold sapwood as the Milo the contrasts are beautiful. Excellent for turning, furniture etc. when you are lucky enough to get some.
Mango and Norfolk Pine are also favorites. Medium hard, but very satisfactory for turnings and accessories. Mango trees are found throughout the islands, many varieties introduced throughout. On the Big Island we have many Chinese and Common mango trees which is what we work with the most. Spalted features of the mango wood bring out more of a marble appearance rather than wood. Each piece is different as with all of the woods, making mango another choice pleasing to the eye. It is much lighter in color with lots of color character.
The Norfolk Island Pine is not rally a pine. It comes from the Norfolk Islands and looks like a pine. Shaped very symmetrically, the tree has branches circling the trunk. Where attractive knots appear in the woodwork pieces is where the branches were. The wood is quite soft but very stable and can be turned very thin (almost translucent) if you apply lots of oil as you turn. The story has it that the early sailors planted the trees throughout the Pacific to establish forests for possible ship masts when needed. The trees do well here in Hawaii and grow quite rapidly. A similar relative is the Cook Pine which is also found and used by local woodworkers.
If your are looking for handcrafted wood products of quality and performance, Kamaaina Woods is the place to shop. A large variety of wood products are available in the store.