Woodall's video review

[Boundless]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sLz25DKgWMM

This video that I made should explain everything; it's for Woodall's / customworkshop.biz and one pair of nunchucks I got from them. (Padauk, tapered 12-inch with 2.5 in. cord).

Feel free to ask questions - but do me a favor and ask them here since I'll check this forum more often than the video.

Please watch my video - but in short I highly recommend Woodall's for their high-quality, if expensive, products and great customer service.

______

P.S. 1)
One thing I did forget in the video to mention was how long it all took.  It took about two and a half weeks from the day I ordered to the day it arrived on my doorstep, as they had to make them to my specifications.

P.S. 2)
Stay tuned for my video review of graphites in the next couple weeks after they arrive and I have time to test them  Probably will be the last pair I buy for a while though...

[Heru Pyrkagia]

i can understand why you're not getting any new chucks for a while. the tapered ones were pricey! they look very sexy though and i know that if you used em you could get comfortable freestyling with em. my first pair of freestyling chucks were big ol luggers as well and i was able learn moves and had i continued using em i would have progressed alright with em. i still think you should find a custom wood shop in your area and bring the tapered chucks to em and see if they are capable of making the cuts. i bet it would be a whole lot cheaper. if i find a pair on the woodalls site that really scream out to me though, from your review, i wont hesitate on getting em. thanx for this Boundless! oh yeah i found verawood for $8.95 a pound at this site: http://www.starsart.com/stars_art_design/Catalog020801.htm#Lignum%20Vitae if you do find a place that is capable of cutting chucks. again, thanx for the review!

[Wild Industry]

Very good, professional review! Very informative bit about customer service. I'm glad to hear that it was such a smooth transaction.

[Boundless]

Thank you both for your positive feedback; it makes me glad I made the video.

Heru - very nice find; did I tell you I was eyeing verawood in another post or did you just read my mind?  It looks like you have to buy whole big slabs of wood at that site, though; maybe I read it wrong.  But I will take your advice on going to a local woodworker - I didn't even think about doing that when I was ordering these.  But I don't feel like I got ripped off or whatever - the chucks are high quality - I just wish I would have ordered smaller ones (or the square chucks!)

[Heru Pyrkagia]

*** Trade Name *** Lignum Vitae / Verawood

                                Click to enlarge 

Latin Name: Bulnesia sarmientii lor ex gris

Origin: South America, Purchased from Chester, England, Gardner hardwood is one of the most respected oldest firms in the U.K., 240 years old.

Character: A very dense, hard close grained wood. Fine, uniform texture with interlocked grain. Ranges in color from greenish olive to darker green with some black. Our strains oxidize to aquamarine blue and forest green. Wood turns a richer color as dries. Highly resined and durable.

K/D A/D A/D 15 yr.

Working Properties: Finishes to a high, lustrous surface, glues well

Uses: Flooring, furniture, turnings, cabinetry, mill work, boxes and specialty items.

Dimension: Sq. Ed, billets, turning logs, planks, blocks, assorted pieces and slabs

Stock: Square edge pieces, 1250 lb., 4qt to 8qt, 4" to 10" width, 36' to 48' length 1 Square Billet 8.75" X 8.75" X 74", Green Verawood

3 Turning Logs: 5" 8" 12" Diameter, by 36" to 42" Length, Verawood

1 Slab Log: 11" Diameter, cut 4 qt. PCs., 43" length, Verawood

2 Slab Log: 11" Diameter cut 3/8" thick PCs., 52" and 44" length, Verawood

Price: $8.50 pound         

Note: The aroma of this stock is of exotic floral scents. Very aromatic.

 that is what i was looking at. im gonna call the phone number when i get paid cause im gonna have Lee make me two verawood prochux. a 4" x 36" piece woud get the job done plus leave me wood left over to have the custom wood shop in my city make my verawood square chux

[Matt-Chez]

ive been considering some thin verawood chucks, i think they'd be amazing due to the sheer hardness of the wood but the only drawback is the weight, verawood is so heavy that it doesn't even float in water!

[Boundless]

Verawood prochux would be so awesome!  I love my prochux - but when compared to bigger chucks like the ones I reviewed in this video, they just don't feel all that powerful to me - because of their weight and because they dent pretty easily.  If they were verawood, they would be so killer.

I wonder if Lee could make some prochux that are easily restringable.

[Heru Pyrkagia]

I hear ya matt. but i figure at 3/4 inch they would be ok. ive been wanting a heavier pair. as i progress im noticing the draw back of super light chux. i know you hate Lee, but he was telling me he has made a pair of verawood prochux before and he liked em. if anything id like to have a pair of chux that didnt snap when thrown at a tree (ha ha K!) and I could say i have chux made out of the hardest wood known! call em cinnamon stcks now haters!

[Matt-Chez]

i dont exactly "hate" lee, i think we've made peace. its just that we have some very different views on the world of nunchaku and what constitutes as a pair of "good" nunchaku, and we rarely if ever agree on anything else.

but i get what your saying, and i totally understand, i think you'll find as you progress that heavy chucks allow you to do so much more technical moves as opposed to light ones (i always use heavies) ive been saying this from day one and i think a lot of people agree.
light ones have better acceleration, but heavies can maintain a top speed thats faster than the lightweights can achieve, plus the forces that keep them spinning are more stable.

what do you reckon,, would a tapered pair of verawoods  3/4 inch at the top 1 inch at the bottom be any good. i might look into getting some, i WAS going to get the blood wood ones, but i had no idea they splinter easily, so i'll pass on that one.

i think verawood is definitely one to go for.

[customworkshop]

Hello to all!  Thanks for the video review.  We appreciate your feedback and the time you put into making it.  I am sure that others will find it helpful.

We can make Nunchaku into smaller diameters.  We can also reduce peoples existing Nunchaku to being smaller.  We do not recommend anything smaller than 7/8" due to the possibility of breaking the wood upon it landing hard on the floor with most woods.  We have made them as small as 1/2" but we do tell our customers the risk when ordering these small diameter Nunchaku.  Also, it is noteworthy to know that we also can take your wood and make your Nunchaku from that wood.

By the way, Bloodwood does not splinter/chip easily it was Purpleheart that does that.  Just thought that I would make that correction.

We hand make everything upon your ordering it.  Depending upon what time you order depends upon how full our schedule is.  Not to mention the amount of times certain woods take to return back to the correct color once shaped.  We try to make sure that we get them out as fast as possible without sacrificing quality and balance.  Typically we can get it out within 1 week once ordered unless you add Inlay, Graphics or choose a wood that needs additional time to be finished.

I welcome any questions to my email at sales@customworkshop.biz.  Good luck to those wanting to trust your Nunchaku to a local shop that isn't used to making Nunchaku because I doubt that they will get it balanced correctly.  If they do then good for them.  If you think Lee can give you better balanced Nunchaku, better craftsmanship, better customer service, better tapered/non tapered Nunchaku and quality of wood for your money then that is where you should go.  If not then we welcome you to try us.  No matter where you go it is your Nunchaku so make sure that you get the exact specifications that you order. 

Once again thanks for the review.  Have a glorious week and have fun freestyling!

Colleen Woodall
Woodall's Custom Workshop

[Kevinjm]

i can understand why you're not getting any new chucks for a while. the tapered ones were pricey! they look very sexy though and i know that if you used em you could get comfortable freestyling with em. my first pair of freestyling chucks were big ol luggers as well and i was able learn moves and had i continued using em i would have progressed alright with em. i still think you should find a custom wood shop in your area and bring the tapered chucks to em and see if they are capable of making the cuts. i bet it would be a whole lot cheaper. if i find a pair on the woodalls site that really scream out to me though, from your review, i wont hesitate on getting em. thanx for this Boundless! oh yeah i found verawood for $8.95 a pound at this site: http://www.starsart.com/stars_art_design/Catalog020801.htm#Lignum%20Vitae if you do find a place that is capable of cutting chucks. again, thanx for the review!

I did read the whole site, but "The minimum order we will process is $300.00 of material plus other associated costs." jumped out at me.

[Flowpulse]

Hello to all!  Thanks for the video review.  We appreciate your feedback and the time you put into making it.  I am sure that others will find it helpful.

I think the trickiest part (to custom workshop) is that I don't know what the perfect size/balance is yet.  I have it in my mind (the "perfect chuck"), but if I spend $70 on a chuck, I wish I could know that I was buying the chuck that I've been dreaming..haha.. or at least have a feel for what wood/size/length/weight is perfect.

So I am looking for something a little longer (14" (??)) than regular, relatively not too heavy, but with weighted ends (to make aerials and spins have killer momentum) with a rope that is slightly shorter than standard pair (only slightly).  I don't know what this chuck is, but I'll know the moment I grab it because I will scream "I have the power!" and my shirt will rip from insane muscle growth.

[customworkshop]

I did read the whole site, but "The minimum order we will process is $300.00 of material plus other associated costs." jumped out at me.

Kevinjm you might want to search your state for wood suppliers.  Most places won't sell to individual people but only to companies that buy in bulk.  There are a few companies out there that do sell to individuals.  Your biggest problem is that you cannot verify the quality of the wood because you are not there to select it.  Good luck

Colleen Woodall
Woodall's Custom Workshop

[customworkshop]

I think the trickiest part (to custom workshop) is that I don't know what the perfect size/balance is yet.  I have it in my mind (the "perfect chuck"), but if I spend $70 on a chuck, I wish I could know that I was buying the chuck that I've been dreaming..haha.. or at least have a feel for what wood/size/length/weight is perfect.

So I am looking for something a little longer (14" (??)) than regular, relatively not too heavy, but with weighted ends (to make aerials and spins have killer momentum) with a rope that is slightly shorter than standard pair (only slightly).  I don't know what this chuck is, but I'll know the moment I grab it because I will scream "I have the power!" and my shirt will rip from insane muscle growth.

What wood Nunchaku have you had in the past that you can tell me that did or did not work for you?  I would suggest that you get the tapered ends so that you have the heaviness that you require in the ends.  We can make the rope exactly the length you need.  You just need to know what that length is.  Long rope is 5.75" long which is the equivalent to 7 links.  The short rope is 2.26" long which is the equivalent to 3 links. 

Brazilian Cherry is our middle weight and hardness wood with the weight on average being 57 pounds per cubic foot and a hardness of 2350 pounds force.  Example of the weight Brazilian Cherry in 14" Round Non Tapered Baseball Bat is on average 14.5 oz.  Putting a tapere on it adds about 2-3 oz.  I thought that I might give you a starting point to go by to determine whether you need to go up in weight or down.

Colleen Woodall
Woodall's Custom Workshop

[rctrue]

I just recieved the trophy nunchaku from Woodalls in the mail yesterday.  They are super sweet.  I got the Cocobolo, 12" tapered octagon, 7 link chain.  Nice weight, perfect balance, smooth action, and beautiful in appearance.
Hopefully I can post some pics soon, or maybe do a freestyle with them.

Cant wait to see it man!

I went ahead and split this thread to keep it on topic. If anyone wants to continue the previous debate please do it here
http://www.freestyleforum.net/index.php?topic=5947.msg70489;topicseen#msg70489