# Hawaii's hardwoods



## Bluepine38 (Dec 14, 2009)

On a visit to Hawaii, I met an older woodworker, and curious about how they made their early canoes, asked
him about how they made them and other wooden items. They did not have any metalworking culture
that I knew of, he grinned and answered,"First you catch a shark." The idea of woodworking tools took
on a new meaning as he told how their main implement for woodworking was sharks teeth, which were
sharp and tended to last a while. I told this story to my son-in-law who then proceeded to give me some
dark Hawaiian hardwood that an uncle had given him a few years before. He was sure the name of wood
started with a k and that it was not koa. The uncle is not available anymore and I have been unable to 
find an online source of information. Does anyone out there know anything about Hawaiian hardwoods?
Thank you for any help you can give me.


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## Bluepine38 (Dec 14, 2009)

Gave up to quick the first time. www.traditionaltrees.org is giving me way more information than I need 
right now on Hawaiian trees.


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## Des (May 4, 2010)

There is a fairly common tree that produces very pretty lumber called Kiawe. Maybe thats it.


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

are you going to use shark teeth to work the wood?


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## Chriskmb5150 (Dec 23, 2009)

Theres a wood called Kiawe which is basically mesquite. nice wood and really good to bbq with 
Discovered this when i moved from Hawaii to Texas in the 80s


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## dpoisson (Jun 3, 2010)

KOA!

If you look at my guitar stand in my projects, the extra little pieces are made of Koa. My dad loves that hawaian wood since a lot of guitars / ukeleles are made of it.


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## Keale (May 22, 2015)

If it is pretty dark there is an endsngered species called kauila that is a dark Hawaiian Hardwood.


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## esmthin (Mar 2, 2015)

Picture?


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## watermark (Jan 29, 2013)

Kamani or Kiawe… kiawe is the darker of the 2. Ohia is another common Hawaiian hard wood but doesn't start with K


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