BAMBOO - EARTH'S SUPER MATERIAL
Our decision to use bamboo was a no-brainer. Bamboo has many characteristics that make it not only an ideal building and furniture material but a great resource for our planet as well. Let us enlighten you with our vast and impressive knowledge of this super material..
Bamboo is technically a grass.
Yup, right out of the gate we will blow your mind with this shocking piece of information. Even though processed bamboo looks, feels, and acts like a “wood”, it is actually a grass. This gives it a few traits that make it such a super material.
Bamboo has a very unique look, like a long pole with knuckles. It’s defined by long fibers that run the length of the culm, which is what allows it to be so strong and flexible. Each culm has a series of internodes that are capped off on each end by “nodes”. These are what create bamboo’s iconic look, and the gorgeous grain variation. These internodes are also air tight and are what pop when burned.
Bamboo..
- is the strongest renewable material on the planet with a higher tensile strength than steel.
- has a higher compressive strength than most concrete.
- has a higher strength-to-weight ratio than graphite.
- has a Janka Hardness rating of around 1800 lbf. (White Oak is 1360). That’s extremely hard.. (Our specialty Tiger Bamboo that we use very rarely for coffee tables has a Janka hardness rating of close to 5000 lbf, making it the hardest “wood” material on the planet.. and our machines will attest to that.)
- is one of the fastest growing natural resources on the planet.
- has almost 2x the strength of a wood alternative.
- can produce usable material 12x faster than its wood counterpart.
- has an extensive root system that both reduces soil erosion and water runoff.
- converts over 30% more CO2 to oxygen than an area of trees with the same footprint.
There are almost 1500 species of bamboo
which afford us different and gorgeous colorations and variations as well as a range of different weights and strengths. (Above) On the left you can see one of our favorite Kaua'i Duos to date. While our products are normally very consistent with coloration, sometimes we are gifted gems. On the right you can see one of our more rare species, Marble Strandboard (or our more popular name, "Tiger"). Our Tiger bamboo is denser than our more common Carbonized and is even stronger, if you can believe it.
Bamboo encompasses many of the distinguishing traits that we strive to attain as a company: Highly sustainable, strong, and beautiful. Our mission is to create gorgeous, strong, and innovative products with a sustainable business model that leaves everyone in our supply chain from retailers to end consumers happy. In an effort to create as little waste as possible, our unused bamboo pieces are turned into gorgeous bamboo rings by Bodhi Rings!