Sapele is an imported hardwood from Africa. It is of the same family Meliaceae as mahogany. With an average dry weight density of 39 lbs/ft3 (620 kg/m3) and an average Janka hardness of 1,500lbf (6,672 N), sapele nunchaku are slighly lighter and slightly harder than our hard maple nunchaku.
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.
