Kauai Woodturner Robin Clark

Kou (Cordia subcordata) grows in the coastal regions of the Hawaiian Islands from sea level to roughly 100 ft. but may grow at up to 450 ft. above sea level. Almost totally destroyed by a moth in the 1800s, it is one of the rarest woods from Hawaii. Kou was prized by Hawaiian royalty for food use: poi bowls, calabashes and utensils as Kou does not impart a taste to food. Kou is a species of flowering trees in the borage family, Boraginaceae. The tree produces fruit that is buoyant and may be carried by ocean current sand thus spread throughout tropical coast lines. Kou wood is soft, durable, and easily worked, taking a nice smooth polish when finished.

The bowl is 11.5 x 4.5 inches and can be used for salad or fruit.  The hard wax finish that can be maintained by occasional application of a paste wax. 

Robin Clark is a semi-retired medicinal chemist who moved to Kauai from California in 2001.  He has subsequently pursued his long dormant interest in woodworking and makes bowls, jewelry boxes, and indoor and outdoor furniture.