Have you ever heard of the term Pakkawood? If you are familiar with kitchen tools, you have probably heard or seen the name Pakkawood somewhere along the label or the kitchen pack’s descriptions.
This brings us to the question, what is Pakkawood? If you are also one of the many people dying to know what it is exactly, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll let you know about all the wonders of Pakkawood, so stick around!
What Is Pakkawood?
The term Pakkawood is interchangeably used by many with the terms Colorwood, Dymondwood, or Staminawood. Basically, it’s a type of material used on various items, commonly on household tools, that tend to experience rough use.
The Appearance
Even though Pakkawood has a close resemblance to natural wood, it may come in various colors that are nowhere near the color of the wood. That’s because Pakkawood is often dyed to different shades, usually to look like oak or walnut trees. Other times, it may even be dyed to look like exotic tree species, like zebrawood, depending on what it will be used for.
However, since Pakkawood can be dyed to almost any color imaginable, you might find it in colors such as rainbow, camouflage, and even bright colors like fuchsia.
Because of the resin applied to the wood, Pakkawood naturally comes with a glossy finish. That being said, lots of Pakkawood manufacturers do not find the need for spraying another layer on the finished product.
Its Composition
By simply looking at the facts listed above, we can already infer that Pakkawood is truly quite an interesting material. That being said, what exactly is this material? How is it obtained? To answer that question, we need to take a closer look at wood and plastic.
That’s right, Pakkawood is basically wood that is infused with phenol. Simply put, Pakkawood is a type of plywood combined with plastic resin. Instead of applying dye as a layer on top of the wood, it is impregnated into the wood.
After this process, a high-pressure environment is applied to cover it with resin. In a single inch of Pakkawood, you may find up to 29 pieces of wood stacked together, piled on top of each other.
Pakkawood Uses
Because of its wood-like appearance and its flexibility to look like something else, Pakkawood is a great material used for lots of different things. Because of how durable it is, many manufacturers find it as an ideal material for their products.
Knife Handles
One of the most common uses of Pakkawood is in handles, specifically knife handles. Thanks to the fact the Pakkawood looks almost exactly like natural wood, it’s a practical choice for knife handles. That’s because even though it looks like wood, it performs like a totally different material.
Kitchen Utensils
Because of how solid and dense the Pakkawood is, it’s not only used for knife handles but can sometimes also be used for utensils themselves.
Since Pakkawood is an extremely durable material, it’s a great alternative for wood and even sometimes for steel. For example, spoons or forks can be made out of Pakkawood. Although we probably have to mention that there’s a big chance that it will look peculiar.
Other Uses
Aside from knife handles and kitchen utensils, Pakkawood has also ventured its way to different fields like military equipment handles and musical instruments. Thanks to its durability, more and more manufacturers are exploring its practical applications in items that are meant to take a beating.
Is Pakkawood Worth It?
Pakkawood is indeed a great material. Its contribution to the world of household items is unquestionable.
If you still haven’t taken a good grasp of how remarkable this material is, here’s what you need to know about the benefits of using Pakkawood. We also made sure to include some downsides to it, to be fair.
Advantages of Using Pakkawood
Since Pakkawood is applied with plastic and resin, the finished product is largely waterproof. It does not react to water the same way a piece of wood does, and it’s also not as prone to splitting and warping.
The sudden rise in popularity of using Pakkawood in knife handles can be attributed to this characteristic of the material.
You also don’t have to spend extra bucks on getting spray-on products to make it look shiny because the polishing and sanding that Pakkawood goes through in its production already gives it a natural glossy finish. This glossy, strong surface makes Pakkawood scratch-proof as well.
The Problem With Pakkawood
It’s important to note that the durability of the Pakkawood may be largely attributed to the compactness of the wood and the plastic it’s made of. With that in mind, cutting Pakkawood into smaller and thinner sections may reduce this durability and make it brittle.
How to Take Care of Pakkawood Material
Pakkawood is a material widely used in kitchen tools like knife handles. You probably think that Pakkawood is quite easy to clean; just put it in the dishwasher, and you’re good to go.
Unfortunately, it is not that easy. You see, even though Pakkawood is largely waterproof, we can’t hide the fact that it’s still composed of wood veneers.
Soaking Pakkawood in soapy water, or even just water, and letting it sit there for long periods will only damage the product. The best practice is to treat it like wood, which means that you should clean and rinse it by hand, and dry it with a towel immediately.
Conclusion
We hope this article has answered your questions on what is Pakkawood. As much as there are lots of things we’ve used this material for, we can’t hide the fact that there are also lots of things that we still need to learn or improve about it.
Who knows? Maybe in the next couple of years, we will develop a different material that’s not only waterproof but can also be washed with a dishwasher. Well, for now, we have to settle with the current wonders the Pakkawood can offer. Judging by the looks of it, we’re already in for a treat.
