Acacia is related to Koa, or more precisely Koa is a member of the Acacia genus. Black Acacia wood is the most desirable variety of acacia excluding Koa, and has a long history as a furniture wood. It is rumored that the wood used to build the Ark of the Covenant was Black Acacia. The picture really does not do the wood justice as it has an iridescent like quality or I think a more accurate way of describing it is that it opaleses in natural light. Any one who has ever seen a guitar or ukulele made out of Koa will know what this looks like. I am particularly taken by the contrast between the heart wood and the sap wood. the wood works and behaves very much like Mahogany. It is very buttery to carve despite its hardness, though when carving with the grain it does tend to shake out a bit. The wood is very hard and dense and polishes up very nicely. The wood I have is from an unusually large tree removed from a back yard in Arroyo Grande and was given to me by a friend. I have enough wood for a moderate sized piece of furniture.
©Robin Corell 2005