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I'm visiting Oahu Hawaii for vacation and while I'm here I wanted to get a few pieces of Koa to bring back. I've notice a lot of things are made from it here, it is really amazing wood. I was wondering if anyone knows of a good supplier of Koa and if so where? I would like to buy from a local small business if i can.
I live on Oahu but haven't used koa in any of my projects. I would check out our local Woodcraft if they don't have any they're real friendly and will hopefully point you in the right direction. I have seen some posts on Craigslist too.....good luck and if you find somewhere please post up your results.
Aloha,
Jonesy
It's been 8 years since I was there, but if you find Mokauwea (spelling?) St off the Nimitz Hwy in Honolulu and head toward the ocean a few blocks, there is a lumber yard that had lots of it, but bring your checkbook. It isn't cheap, not even the small pieces. They save even very small cut-offs and have a large amount to pick from, just perfect for bringing home in your suitcase (I came home with one more suitcase than I took with me).
They have a big shop too. Try to get them to let you into their shop to see what they are making. When I was there they had almost completed 2 large heavy koa coffee tables....absolutely beautiful.
Also, on Mokauwea St (closer to Nimitz Hwy) is RKF Enterprises (Roland's Koa Factory). It's a small shop that makes many of the small koa items that are available in the tourist shops on the islands. They were friendly and allowed me into their shop and showroom.
If you enjoy hiking, drive around to the back side of the Diamond Head crater, go through the tunnel into the park inside, and then walk the trail up through the old military fortifications to the top of the crater wall overlooking Waikiki beach. It will take a few hours and some effort, but the view is very much worth it. Take a bottle of water and a flashlight with you. You will need them both. The trail goes through some old military ruins up near the top and you will need a flashlight for this part, even on a bright sunny day.
Charley
I don't know about Koa specifically, but many states have a ban on interstate transportation of lumber without inspection, because of trying to stop various pests from spreading. You might want to find this information out before bringing it back. I doubt the TSA will stop you but I would hate to be responsible for killing some local trees.
This is the place that Charles was talking about, http://www.pacamlumber.com . It's actually pretty close to our local woodcraft. They do have some Koa there.
There is a place called 'Honolulu Hardwoods' near one of my favorite restaurants. I've never actually gone in, but the address is about here..1283 Kona Street, Honolulu. You can see it on google street view. And I'll recommend eating at Gyu-Kaku, which is right around the corner.
Ok thanks for the info guys! They are actually not far from where I'm staying I'll have to check them out. As for bringing back some disease I'm planning on only buying KD lumber so that would kill any invasive diseases and what not.
Will, have any purchased wood inspected at the airport, Hawaii is VERY strict about produce/lumber etc. I only takes a minute and they will do it for free and place a sticker on it. If they catch you deeper in the airport they will confiscate it from you.
Congratulations, happy to have you coming for vacation.
Now, on to koa--Winkler Wood Products (check phone book) is a new,almost only koa dealer. Jorma Winkler stocks both solids and really fine veneer. You can get a variety of grades of bookmatched panels from him.
The dealer off Mokuea is Martin and McArthur. The West end of their building is the lumber shop. They stock mostly koa and some mango. Do not bring mango back home--in the event there are powder post beetles, that can get your wood confiscated in the airport.
Pacific American lumber, as one reader said, has koa. Plywood Hawaii has koa, but a little harder to find. Honolulu Hardwoods on Kona street is easy to find and has a selection of Hawaiian woods in addition to koa.
The Woodcraft store has a selection of koa and other island hardwoods.
If you go to Kailua Kona on the Island of Hawaii, Aloha Hardwoods has the best accessible selection of a variety of woods.
Note: pricing on koa is stiff. Think carefully about what you want to build and decide whether you might want to make panel parts of it with veneer over a stable plywood.
A cautionary note: There is a wood, an acacia grown initially in Taiwan, called "Formosan koa." It is not legal to name the wood that any more, but it has on occasion been called "Kiwi Koa," as has Australian blackwood acacia. There is nothing wrong with these woods as wood--but the comparison is to have someone deliver red maple to you and tell you that it is Northern sugar maple. One is used for railway ties, the other for violin bodies.:)