HAWAIIAN EXOTIC KOA & TONE WOODS

Aloha! Please email for your needs and we can make an appt for you to stop by our place in Wahiawa behind Bello’s Millwork. We don’t keep a lot of stock there so please email ahead. Mahalo.

EMAIL: inquiry “at-mark” winklerwoods.com You may also CALL: 808-591-8144

Koa Grades — Koa Grading 1A - 5A Examples

Hawaiian Koa Grading for instruments – please have a look at the photo above and you can see the wood grain range from the left to right from NON (1A) curly to SUPER (5A) curly. I adopted this grading system from the Maple, Spruce and Cedar market (thanks Dave!) in order to have a base line grading system when trying to sell koa in the instrument market. My father had his grading system for lumber that was adopted from NHLA grading rules, but that just didn’t work when speaking luthiery. While not perfect, I found this does help our buyers understand what to expect from us. We do our best to match the buyer’s expectations with what we promise to supply.

Koa is generally graded by strength and depth of curl or evidence of figure and character: fancier wood = higher grade

All grading is within the template of the instrument supplied.

Color is not a grading factor for us and koa can range from a very light, golden color to a deep chocolate brown or red.

1A/2A no or light curl; has vertical grain cut (quarter-sawn) and little to no runoff at the edges.

3A sometimes strong a localized curl; pervasive curl yet may disappear or look stronger at certain angles and will have bald spots; usually not so strong until the finish is applied; most difficult grade to see on rough boards, without water or sun.

4A strong curl and figure maybe 70-90% of the entire plate with small bald spots here and there, generally visible from all angles

5A “Master grade”; excellent, strong, deep curl with no blemishes within the plate. Not all 5A is equal… and one 5A could be more or less expensive than another, even at the wholesale level.

Log prices fluctuate wildly these days which means the prices will as well so please understand it is really about good ‘ol economics on what we can offer. sometimes we have lots for reasonable prices and sometimes hardly any at all and expensive.

We are a wholesale and retail supplier capable of supply one to 1,000’s of sets. We stock sets and lumber. We do all the processing from green to final product on the Big Island and on Oahu. Please email for availability. Please note we have down-sized a lot and don’t keep a lot of stock on hand so please email before coming by to be sure we have what you are after. Mostly I keep a bit of figure koa, curly mango and beautiful monkey pod on stock.

NOTE: We are NOT on Waimanu St. anymore and are in Wahiawa at 401 N. Cane St behind Bello’s Millwork.

** Instrument grade (QUARTER-SAWN FIGURED) Koa is sold in SET & LUMBER form; please email for custom quote. We do not email price lists.

COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE

Name	Description	Products
Name	Description	Lumber	Instrument Sets	Veneers	Flooring	Moldings
	Hawaiian Koa (ACACIA KOA) aka “Hawaiian Koa” is the main wood we supply in various forms. Our koa originates from the Big Island of Hawaii from the slopes of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. Koa is the premier hardwood of Hawaii and ranges in price from affordable to astronomical! Koa for the instrument world is our specialty. We sell both lumber and sets of all grades and have satisfied customers worldwide. Despite the rumors, koa is NOT running out, but rather what is allowed to be cut is very limited therefore so is the supply and high prices. Despite the limited availability our business has successfully supplied the market for MANY years due to our excellent reputation and relationship with landowners and ability to successfully harvest and replant Show less	in stock	in stock	in stock	some	Lumber only
	MANGIFERA INDICA — Mango is a large tree often reaching 65 feet in height and 3 feet in diameter. The wood has been used in Hawai’i for carved and turned bowls and furniture. Mango is a relatively soft hardwood, moderately heavy, with specific gravity of 0.57. The color is lustrous blond, frequently showing mottled color variation acquired during drying. Some trees may have dark brown heartwood. The grain is often wavy and often has a pronounced curly or “fiddleback” figure. Though tough, mango wood is perishable and is therefore tricky to season without degrade. Show less	in stock	in stock	in stock	order	Lumber Only
	METROSIDEROS POLYMORPHA — The ‘Ohi’a is unique to Hawai’i. It is one of the trees initially used by native Hawaiians for critical construction applications such as tools, and wear-strips along the gunwales of canoes. Its modern applications are typically in flooring, furniture and cabinetry. It is the most common endemic tree in the state, can be a major component of mixed forest stands, and is one of the very first trees able to take root on new lava fields. The tree is present in shapes ranging from shrubs to 100 feet in height. The wood ranges in color from pale brown to a dark reddish brown. It is fine grained, very hard, strong, and dense (specific gravity .70) In furniture and cabinetry applications, ‘Ohi’a is nearly indestructible. However, great care and experience must be brought to bear in the seasoning of this notoriously unstable wood. Show less	very limited	Not used as a tonewood	in stock	order	Lumber Only
	SWIETENIA MAHOGANI — Cuban mahogany is the first discovered species of mahogany. It was introduced to Hawai’i in the early 1900s, and is widely planted in both public and private forest stands. It has been used in various locations as a stately street tree. The tree grows to 60 feet in height and 4 feet in diameter. The heartwood is reddish, pinkish, or yellowish when cut, gradually turning a dark red brown. It is moderately hard, heavy (specific gravity .7-.8) and strong. Roots and stumps of large trees are prized for their strong figure. Show less	limited – amazing Tonewood	IN STOCK	rare	rare	limited in lumber only

OTHER HAWAIIAN WOODS
I have some in veneer only- please call for availability; we do not supply lumber or other forms of these woods

name	Description
	BROSIMUM PARAENSE — Bloodwood is a dark red wood. Show less
CHOCOLATE HEART, Albizia	— Albizia “Chocolate Heart” is mostly a “weed tree” fast-growing but some are darker and called “chocolate heart” which can sometimes be confused with koa and is very beautiful, but slightly toxic dust so take care when working with it. Show less
	CALOPHYLLUM INOPHYLLUM — Kamani grows near the seashore, and reaches heights of 40 to 60 feet, diameters up to 36 inches. The heartwood is reddish brown, with a moderate density (specific gravity .6). It was traditionally used for bowls. The wood is lustrous and the interlocking grain shows a dramatic braided ribbon stripe on the quarter sawn face. It is relatively difficult to work because of the interlocked grain, but very fine cabinetry has been made from it. The doors on the main floor of ‘Iolani Place have panels of Kamani veneer. Show less
	THESPESIA POPULNEA — Milo is a medium-sized lowland tree attaining 30 feet in height, with a trunk diameter of 8 to 20 inches. This slow-growing, taste-free and insect-resistant wood has been used historically by native Hawaiians in the making of food containers and in boat building. It has light brown sapwood, clearly defined from the reddish/chocolate brown heartwood. The stable wood is moderately heavy (specific gravity .6), is easy to work and takes a very high polish. Because of the high value of the beachside real estate milo thrives on, it is not currently planted in commercial quantities. Show less
	SAMANEA SAMAN — Ohai or Monkey Pod is Commonly planted for shade and wood. A beautiful shade tree, introduced to Hawaii in 1847, with large trunk and very broad arched crown of dense foliage. Trees can achieve heights of 50-75 feet, with a relatively short trunk of 2-4 feet in diameter. These are the trees in the Hitachi commercial in Japan that are found in Moanalua Garden’s Park. Sapwood of the monkey pod is yellowish and the heartwood dark chocolate brown to golden brown with darker streaks. The wood is moderately hard, lightweight and fairly strong. Monkey pod is resistant to decay and drywood termites. The wood shrinks very little and takes a finish beautifully, thus making great looking furniture, bowls, and musical instruments – ukuleles and guitars especially. Show less
	GREVILLEA ROBUSTA — Silk-oak, commonly called “silky oak”, was introduced for shade, ornament and reforestation. It may reach 70 feet in height with a diameter of up to 3 feet. The wood was traditionally referred to as “lacewood” in its native Australia, and is now scarce there. It is moderately dense (specific gravity .57). The heartwood is initially pale pinkish brown, with strong medullary rays on the quartersawn face resembling those characteristic to oak. Flat-sawing of the lumber produces a less dramatic but attractive “fish scale” figure. In time, the wood seasons to a lustrous golden color. This open-grained wood finishes well. The tree grows up to an elevation of 4,000 feet, and is naturalized on diverse private and state forest lands. Show less
	CRYPTOMERIA JAPONICA — Sugi, often called Sugi pine yet is really a true aromatic cedar, is an aromatic softwood native to Japan. The sapwood is white or yellow, with reddish brown heartwood. The wood is light (specific gravity .41). It has strength properties similar to western red cedar, and is suitable for aromatic drawer linings. It has traditionally been one of the most important timbers of Japan, and was planted by the Hawai’i Division of Forestry between 1910 and 1960. Use of Sugi in decorative items is growing. Show less
	TOONA CILIATA — Toon was introduced in 1918 for plantation use. It grows to 50 feet tall and reaches over two feet in diameter. The wood is very lightweight (specific gravity .35), and is reddish brown. The tree is also called “Australian red cedar”, because of the strong aromatic cedar scent of the wood. It carves and turns particularly well. There are several stands in Hawai’i forest plantations. Show less