Does anyone know where to find Koa wood on the island of Maui? We are going there in a week. Thanks!
Does anyone know where to find Koa wood on the island of Maui? We are going there in a week. Thanks!
If you happen to go to Kauai, stop at The Koa Store in Lihue.
Google? Maui Hardwoods comes up.
I just want to say be careful. Find a reputable person or store. Avoid the back of the pickup truck sellers. Not saying that they are all shady, but koa is protected, and there are many scammers out there. There are woods that look similar to koa. It could be legit but you would have to be extremely lucky.
I don't personally know anything about Maui Hardwoods. I just googled and they came up.
Contact Shawn Flemming on Maui. She is an exquisite furniture builder who has on occasion harvested some pretty nice wood.
Shaun Fleming website: http://www.woodentouches.com/
Thanks everyone! I'll contact Shaun Fleming and Maui Hardwoods.
If you want to bring back a souvenir, go for it. But there are folks in the Bay Area who offer koa. There's an outfit in Berkeley advertising on Craigslist, and Global Resources in San Jose has some too.
Be prepared for sticker shock when you buy Koa. You can google "Maui Woodworking" and find several listings.
Lee Schierer
USNA '71
Go Navy!
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Lumber dealers in Chicago have some Koa too.
I bought wood from Maui Hardwoods. Really nice place, great wood. They even wrapped it so I could take it back on the plane. The koa was beautiful. They were very helpful. Go there and buy some nice wood and enjoy your vacation!
I was hoping to find a mill on Maui, but I believe they are all on the Big Island where most of the Koa grows. I'll check Maui Hardwoods and keep an eye on craigslist. What I have found in the local stores is really expensive and plain if I can say that about Koa
Dennis,
I went to Maui once, and Kona several times. I did find a mill/yard in Maui, though it is a 1-2 man operation. How I found it was a guy at the farmers market in Lahaina who was carving little statues from Koa branches in Banyan Park. I asked him where he got the wood, and he gave me the guys phone number. I can't find the phone number, but if you go to google maps and put in the following address:
580 Laie Dr
Makawao, HI 96768
He is the corner house, and you can see from the aerial view all of the logs and slabs he has. He had a few pieces of large Koa in the back, but a lot of other stuff too (Monkeypod, Mango, Macadamia). I spent a good while just talking to him. He said he gets a lot of stuff from friends in the road/highway crews that call him when they have to clear trees for their job. He had a lot of cool stuff and was a nice guy.
Hope this helps.
Grady - "Thelma, we found Dean's finger"
Thelma - "Where is the rest of him?!"
Alex, I found the guy. His name is Gilly, and his phone number is 808 572 8540. Nice guy. He has lots of wood including Koa, Kou, Monkey Pod, etc. The Koa is expensive though!