Purpleheart Nunchaku

These nunchaku are crafted from solid purpleheart wood—a dense, exotic hardwood known for its natural deep violet color that intensifies with exposure to light. The wood’s fine, tight grain gives it a smooth, polished surface while maintaining excellent strength and durability.

Each handle is precisely turned and balanced, offering a solid, weighty feel ideal for traditional martial arts training or display. Purpleheart’s dry weight density of 58 lbs/ft³ (930 kg/m³), specific gravity of 0.86, and Janka hardness of 2520lb_f (11210 N) makes the nunchaku about 20% heavier than our hard maple nunchaku, enhancing momentum and control for advanced practitioners. Over time, the wood’s color may shift from bright purple to a rich, dark plum or brownish violet, especially if exposed to sunlight—adding to its character and uniqueness.

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.