As one of the hardest of domestic hardwoods, hard maple (also known as sugar maple or rock maple) is the ideal compromise between weight and hardness for nunchaku. Hard maple has a dry weight density of 44.0 lbs/ft3(705 kg/m3) and a Janka hardness of 1,450 lbf(6,450 N).
Our standard nunchaku is based on the original from Dolan Sports, circa 1978. The joint consists of steel chain and hardware, with aluminum end caps to reduce weight. The king pin is 2” in length. Five chain links provide 3.75 inches of separation, pin to pin. Each of the 12” handles are hand turned on a lathe, and are tapered from a 1” diameter at the cap to about 1.25” at its widest. Two or more coats of wipe-on polyurethane protects the wood from moisture and provides a uniform grip.
