Australian Woods

The woods of Australia a remarkably varied – hundreds of species with different qualities, many of them unique. Because they are a) so many b) so remarkable c) out of reach for most practitioners, these woods deserve their own page.

There was a very illuminating discussion of Australian woods for weapons at this discussion group.  I will caution those interested that you should only use woods grown in Australia.  Eucalyptus, in particular, grown outside Australia, is not subject to certain wood-boring parasites.  The trees respond by keeping their grain much tighter to keep the bugs out.  Therefore, non-native native Australian woods will be flawed. I have not included any woods that, although hard, have other properties that rule them out as impact weapons.  Examples would be the brittle karrah and the Tasmanian Blue Gum, the latter having frequent “growth stress problems” that make its lumber poor for weapons.  Any type referred to as ‘mallee’ is a particular species where relatively small ‘saplings’ emerge from a bole–therefore, they will not likely be a source of usable lumber. Others, such as wandoo and satinheart are ruled out because of their rarity.  Here is an article from a 1929 newspaper, describing several woods for tool handles that the writer names as superior to hickory.  Specific woods that appear promising are listed separately. Here is a site that sells recycled (already cured) varieties of Australian hardwoods.

Acacia – A very widespread category of trees, The wood of many acacias used for weapons by the aboriginal people of Australia, including boomerangs, spear throwers, fighting sticks, punishment spears and tapping sticks. Some acacia grow in other parts of the world. I am currently in discussion with a supplier in Africa concerning Knob Thorn.  They are among the hardest woods in the world, and also quite strong in other parameters:

  •  Acacia Prickly (Acacia nilotica) – Janka Hardness Scale – 3120
  • Boree AKA Weeping Myall (Acacia pendular) – Janka Hardness Scale – 3370
  • Brigalow Spearwood (Acacia harpophyllia)
  • Kurara (Acacia tetragonophylla) – Janka Hardness Scale – 3420
  • Gidgee (Acacia cambadgei) – Janka Hardness Scale – 4270  See commentary below
  • Knob Thorn (Acacia nigrescens) – Janka Hardness Scale – 4290
  • Mulga (Acacia aneura) – Janka Hardness Scale – 3820 (NOTE: I’ve seen many references to this wood being used as a weapons wood by original Australians)
  • Lancewood (Acacia sherleyi) – Janka Hardness Scale – 3350
  • Oak Desert Australian AKA Australian Dogwood (Acacia coriacea) – Janka Hardness Scale – 3480
  • Snakewood Australian (Acacia xiphophylla) – Janka Hardness Scale – 4150
  •  Spearwood Brown (Acacia rhodoxylon) – Janka Hardness Scale – 4100
  • Waddy (Acacia Peuce)  – Janka Hardness Scale – 4630
  • Wattle AKA Australian Ironwood (Acacia excelsa) – Janka Hardness Scale – 4050
  • Wattle Lakewood (Acacia enervia) – Janka Hardness Scale – 4150

(NOTE:  Albezia, a different species, is also referred to as acacia as a trade name – I discuss albezia procera in the section on white sirus).

Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis) – Tim Bathurst describes Blackbutt with a pale brown heartwood, sometimes with a slightly pinkish tinge. It’s sapwood is distinctively paler. With a Janka rating of 1984, it is harder than either hickory or purple heart. Tim Bathurst reports, “I have made both a Naginata and a Nagamaki out of Blackbutt, it is a beautiful wood that is easy to work and polishes well.”

Blackwood (Acacia melanocylon) –  There are many wonderful acacia woods in Australia. This is the first that I’ve gotten a report on, from a top-level practitioner of a koryu.  Blackwood is reported by a woodworker as having ‘a mind of it’s own. Talk about buckle and bow. Blackwood is one of the World’s great movers.’ This means it must be well-seasoned.

REPORT OF LONG TIME KORYU PRACTITIONER: Blackwood is extremely resilient to torsional stresses, and is impact hard. However, it does store impact stress, but unlike sunuke and more tangibly ebony, blackwood tends to  have a mixture of fine and course straight grains. This makes the possibility of fine splintering (feathering, something I’ve encountered with ipe) more likely than the weapon cleanly snapping, or as ebony is famous, stored stress detonation. Blackwood is well-suited for more massive weapons such as naginata and yari, but not as good for bokuto or staff, as the larger diameter weapons can help spread the impact area rather than some of the sharper angles of the smaller ones where impact can tend to splinter the edge.

A SUBSEQUENT REPORT: Blackwood is strong, but takes impact in a way that can cause depression in the surface. I picked out the one blackwood bokuto that I made from a bunch that had the greatest amount of natural faults to use and although there is a number of irregularities in the timber, the wood itself tends not to split or feather very easy at all. The other amazing thing that I have noticed is that even when the blackwood is struck fiercely at the points where the grain endings meet at those sharp edges such as shinogi and Mune, resulting in what looks like the beginning of a feather or split – using a combination of localized burnishing heat and pressure, the grain closes and solidifies, renewed and ready to be pummeled another day. The issue with black wood is seasoning. New timbers tend to twist, and modern curing methods are not as meticulous as they once were, making perfectly straight lengths difficult to source regularly. This is why I generally ransack local salvage yards to find 50 year plus timbers to make into bokuto. Black wood beats the crap out of Japanese kashi. Belts deep depressions that eventually open the Japanese wood into feathers or splits. It experiences a little difficulty against harder Australian woods, but it is tougher and stronger than almost all Japanese woods. The only draw back is the fact that it is much heavier than Kashi. This wood starts out in life, freshly cut as a light brown, but with handling and burnishing turns deep, dark, rich, brown, giving it that antique look.

Brush box (Lophostemon confertus) – Tim Bathurst writes: “The heartwood varies from a pinkish grey to a rich reddish brown. Sapwood usually distinctively paler. It has a Janka hardness rating of about 1900. This is a delightful light yellowy–grey timber that is quite light both in colour and weight. If you are looking for a lighter weight weapon this would be a good consideration. Despite its’ 9.5 Janka rating it is not as hard as I would have liked. It has shown some minor denting, but no splintering, when struck against my Spotted gum Naginata but since the Spotted Gum has a rating of 11, that’s hardly surprising.

Gidgee ((Acacia cambadgei) – REPORT OF LONG TIME KORYU PRACTITIONER: Perhaps tested in the future. Gidgee holds the world record for density and split resistance. I am told that Gidgee will pulverize Tallowwood…! Aboriginal boys going through their man hood ceremony were in some parts of Australia, given a spear and shield made from Gidgee and it would be expected that it would last them their entire life and then some. The wood is the most attractive; looking remarkably like African Black Ebony. It is usually only found in small amounts, and used as a replacement for ebony usually in musical instruments. The wood can also have amazing gold flecks that can appear deep in the grain after burnishing, looking somewhat like the mineral Tigers-eye. This is the pinnacle of woods, and I am told that tools are almost always damaged upon milling the timber. It smashes Bowyakka (another legendary wood) in resilience and hardness. I hope to someday make a bokuto out of this, although it would never be truly justifiable to use as it may just destroy everything it hits. Price – very, very, very expensive! Availability – mythically rare, except in small pieces used by instrument makers. Tree grows at a mind blowing rate of something around a a foot every ten years. Some trees can be hundreds of years old and only be as tall as you. Has evolved to grow in such harsh environments that the trunk and limbs twist and distort, making long lengths rare. Notwithstanding this, I am told lengths long enough for long bokuto and keiko kodachi are possible. Again watch this space for more information.

Janka Hardness Scale – 4270

Ironbark – This is an Australia tree, a eucalyptus, with a deeply furrowed bark that is fire resistant.  The wood is very dense and fine grained, and very resistant to rot. It is very hard to work and can easily damage tools.

I know of one woodworker who use to provide bokken-like weapons for mounted police using this wood.  He told me that the wood was excellent in all parameters.  There are a lot of sub-species.  That which I’ve seen is not a very attractive wood – it was a grey tan color. Photographs of red ironbark, however, show a beautiful wood, with a dark red heartwood, and pale yellow sapwood.   Among the various Ironbarks are several varieties that all go by the same name, plus black ironbark, brown mallet and grey box.

Black Ironbark

  • Bending strength – 25,113 psi
  • Maximum Crushing strength – 12,223 psi
  • Shearing strength – 2800 psi
  • Static bending – 7840 psi
  • Toughness – 250 in-lbs.
  • Work to Maximum Load – 17 in-lbs./in3
  • Janka Hardness Scale – 2862

Brown Mallet

  • Bending strength – 25,480 psi
  • Maximum Crushing strength – 13,328 psi
  • Shearing strength – 2827 psi
  • Static bending – 12,642 psi
  • Toughness – 361 in-lbs.
  • Janka Hardness Scale – 3200

REPORT OF VETERAN PRACTITIONER OF KORYU: Cooktown Ironbark (from the Northern dry area of Queensland – this area has seasonal monsoons). Whilst Grey Ironbark sits around the mid strength for impact hardness and resilience of the six sub-species. Cooktown Ironbark is reportedly harder and heavier. One thing I noted with regards to fashioning this timber was the fact that it blunt a lot of my hand tools and bench saws. Rasp and steel files were also dullened. Only some of my antique hand forged files survived the process without too much wear.

Grey Box (AKA Grey Ironbark)

REPORT OF VETERAN PRACTITIONER OF KORYU:  Resilience in this wood is off the chart. Obliterates kashi..! In some of my first practices I lost numerous kashi weapons to this bokuto. So much so, I had to stop using it against kashi and the softer woods altogether. I now mainly use this bokuto when facing my students in bojutsu. Students use 37mm and 35mm round European bulletwood in this art respectively. Grey Ironbark laughs at the impact. My more powerful student smashes the hell out of this bokken and there are times I am sure I will look down and find it hanging in splinters. So far I have only received two tiny depressions in the surface along the shinogi. Meanwhile the hefty bulletwood is speckled with impact depression. Impact on the hands and joints is much the same as meeting impact with steel weapons, which may not suit the liking of some people. I suspect that the wood will store impact energy more readily than blackwood or spotted gum, meaning that one day it may just explode. How long that will take is anybody’s guess. The timber colour is not as beautiful or antique looking as spotted gum or black wood; having a light yellow to mid brown, unremarkable colour and straight grain. Still this is only one of the six sub-strains of this timber.

  • Bending strength – 20,384 psi
  • Maximum Crushing strength – 11,074 psi
  • Shearing strength – 2950 psi
  • Static bending – 11,956 psi
  • Toughness – 191 – in-lbs
  • Janka Hardness Scale – 3244

Red ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon):

The red ironbark is fantastic if you don’t mind the weight. The bokkens I made weighed in just shy of 1.1 kg. Admittedly I was aiming for heavy and it should definitely be possible to get it down to closer to 0.8kg with a slimmer profile, without sacrificing durability. I don’t have a weight for my suburito other than “definitely more than 2kg” since that’s what my kitchen scale tops out at!

In terms of feel, the best word I can find is “solid”, but in a somewhat smooth fashion. It quietly absorbs strikes and continues on its merry way without much fuss. To some degree that does hide ones mistakes, for good or bad. Coming up against lighter weapons (i.e. just about all of them), the need for speed on the other hand does very much encourage proper handling. The only thing I didn’t appreciate about the wood was while working with it – the cross-grain can run very deep and if not careful it was easy to lift out a chunk of wood you really didn’t want gone. Minor complaint, and probably more a testament to my lack of skill at the time!

On a contrary note, Tim Bathurst writes regarding red ironbark: The problem with this wood  is that the shock of impact transfers straight through the timber and into your hands.

Jarrah – (Eucalyptus marginata) – a beautiful wood, varying from rich reds to deep browns;, with a pale yellow sapwood. It  used in various parts of the world for railroad ties and for decking. It works well and polishes nicely.When used as flooring, it does tend to splinter under heavy traffic. One report I’ve read is that it tends to be somewhat brittle and breaks with powerful impact. It is a medium strength wood. There are many stronger Australian species available.  Tim Bathurst writes: “It can be prone to fiddleback so inspect each piece carefully before purchasing.” Consider Jarrah to be barely suitable, particularly as there are so many superior woods

  • Bending strength
  • Maximum Crushing strength – 9600 psi
  • Shearing strength
  • Static bending
  • Toughness .
  • Work to Maximum Load
  • Janka Hardness Scale – 1860

Karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor) – A straight grained, mahogany colored wood – a eucalyptus from Australia. Consider Karri to be barely suitable, particularly as there are so many superior woods

  • Bending strength – 19,142 psi
  • Maximum Crushing strength – 10,266 psi
  • Shearing strength – 2159 psi
  • Static bending – 11,368 psi
  • Toughness – 261 in-lbs.
  • Work to Maximum Load – 19 in-lbs./in3
  • Janka Hardness Scale – 2010

Lemon Scented Gum(Eucalyptus Citriodora). To be tested:  A LONG-TERM KORYU PRACTITIONER WRITES: A timber that I have high expectations for. The spec sheets give this timber a good report. Somewhat as hard and durable as Spotted Gum with far less seasoning issues. Gum veins in this timber give it a similar, greasy natural oil content as Spotted gum does. I am imagining the impact value to be the same. The problem with this particular tree is it yields a very pure level of Citronella oil (98%) and it is more often used for this purpose, making lumber availability rare and more costly when compared to Spotted Gum. Lemon Scented Gum is slightly lighter than Spotted Gum and the timber grain and colour is straight, interlocking and an attractive yellow/ light brown. I have order some lengths of this particular timber for the purpose of keiko yari and shinken-yari nagare-koshirae. However, due to it being less commonly used as lumber, finding a reliable source may take a time to secure.

Red Bloodwood (Corymbia gummier) – Lumber from this wood is not all that common, but it was reportedly used by various aboriginal groups in Australia as a weapons wood.

  • Bending strength – 14,380 psi
  • Maximum Crushing strength -8480 psi
  • Janka Hardness Scale -2450

Sydney Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) – This is a beautiful wood, with a red to reddish-brown heartwood, and paler sapwood. It has a Janka rating of approximately 1800, making it about as hard as hickory. Tim Bathurst writes: “A stunning red wood that works well and also holds of good polish. It is prone to fiddleback which can leave some gaps in the grain.”

Spotted Gum (Corymbia Maculata) – this Australian Eucalyptus is sometimes known as Australian Hickory. It is the most common wood used for tool handles. The heartwood is pale to dark brown or chocolate, with a distinctively paler sapwood. One report I’ve received states, that “jo made from spotted gum are fairly dense, and compress with impact. I’ve had varying reports regarding splintering: essentially,  “similar to white oak, although not quite as durable.”

Tim Bathurst writes: Spotted Gum is my first choice for making weapons; it is readily available, sufficiently hard to withstand impact training and still flexible enough that it absorbs much of the impact so it doesn’t jar your hands. Spotted Gum is used for axe and shovel handles which is a good indication of its qualities.

Be mindful of “fiddleback,” these are irregularities in the grain pattern that can add some beautiful patterns to your wood but also make it tricky to work. Sometimes it will give you some gaps in the grain which may impinge on the integrity of the weapons’ strength. I have made a few Naginata with this feature in the shaft and none of them have broken yet although I would be less happy if it was to occur in the blade section. Spotted Gum has a natural oiliness to it which gives it great durability and it polishes nicely.

A SECOND REPORT FROM A VETERAN PRACTITIONER OF KORYU:

This is a beautiful timber that does not crack split or feather. It will compress and dent, especially against harder timbers, but it is harder than blackwood by far. Holds the stress of impact well and is easily released if the correct techniques are used to de-stress timbers. The timber is a lovely red and sometimes can be a mid brown colour (depends on the sub-climate of where it was grown). The pieces I have is a rich red. A very waxy surface, that is the result of natural timber oils is one of the defining features of this wood. So much so that I have had troubles in the past, getting wood lacquers to cure correctly on its surface. Kashi does not even stand a chance against this wood, however the timber still absorbs shock to the degree that makes impact comfortable. The one drawback with this timber is the curing process. The incredible amounts of natural wood oils can cause dramatic twisting. I have not used any vintage spotted gum as yet. I used newly milled and cured timber and found that I had to waste a lot of the material due to finding the center point in difference to the twist the newly seasoned timber possessed in order to attain the length. If the craftsman has difficulty reading the grain in this timber, fashioning a bokuto can lead to trouble. Causing the grain to finish and or to run in areas in different to the desired strength of the weapon. Spotted gum can make a mess of blackwood. Although blackwood will not give, it will yield with numerous depressions and bruising.

  • Bending strength – 19,356 psi
  • Maximum Crushing strength – 9945 psi
  • Shearing strength – 2204 psi
  • Janka Hardness Scale – 2185

Tallow wood (Eucalyptus Microcorys) A LONG-TERM KORYU PRACTITIONER WRITES:  I am just going to come out and say it – This wood is f*ing legendary in Australia. Tallow wood is often used for outdoor furniture due to it not giving a damn about the weathers of a harsh environment. Furniture left untreated outdoors has been known to last for decades. This is a tough wood. Although some of the specs don’t really shed light on its qualities with regards to koryu-buki, I once fashioned a rokushaku-bo from a piece and it was an absolute pleasure to use. Much like Ironbark, it never seemed to dent or bruise. I expect the qualities to be very much the same in the hand with regards to Ironbark. Which wood is superior in the long run is anyone’s guess. I had my Tallow wood Bo for many years and it was eventually stolen. Therefore I cannot comment on its longevity. All I remember is that it used to break things, often and remarkably. The wood is an attractive light colour and sapwood can sometimes be a little green even after seasoning. Grain is unremarkable, straight and sometimes fiercely interlocked. Surface has a lot of natural oils and tannin, causing a greasy feel especially after burnishing. Feel is much like steel. With that ever so familiar reverberation upon impact that can jar the bones. The common comment that comes from the old boys that used to mill the timber in the past is that it does not split, making their job very difficult. I suspect that, although there maybe other timbers in Australia that are harder, Tallowwood seems to have this magical power of not letting go of its lignum constitution. Holding and resisting grain separation even in the hardest environments. The only problem with this particular wood is, again it is generally a little more expensive. Koalas use the leaves as their sole food source in Australia. The wood is generally protected in areas even though there are designated forestry that are used solely for lumber. Trees are very slow growing (as are most Eucalyptus species). I about to order some of this timber to work into shinken naginata koshirae and keiko naginata -it will be heavy, although not quite as heavy as some Ironbark. During Australia’s colonial era, most of these giant trees were milled out. Now a lot of effort is made to keep the species alive.

Wandoo (Eucalyptus wandoo) – a very dense, tough and hard wood This wood is reported to be quite rare

  • Janka Index: 3700