Hickory is one of the toughest, strongest, and most resilient domestic hardwoods in North America. It comes primarily from species of the Carya genus (the same family as pecan). The heartwood ranges from light to medium brown with a reddish hue, while the sapwood is pale, often nearly white. The sharp contrast between the two gives hickory a striking, variegated look. Hickory is about 14% heavier than hard maple with a specific gravity of 0.82. Its average dry weight Is 51 lbs/ft3 (820 kg/m3) and has a Janka hArden’s of 1820lbf (8096 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.
