Aloha & E Komo Mai!

Welcome to Cabanilla Makau!

This is the home for the world's finest hand-carved Hawaiian style Fishhooks & Polynesian style carvings! We pride ourselves on creating the best Makau (fishhooks) ever made using only the finest of materials including Ancient Fossil Bone, Ancient Mammoth Ivory, Genuine Hawai'ian Koa wood, High grade Mother of Pearl shell and more...

We specialize in Ancient Hawaiian Style makau, custom copywritten designs and beautiful one-off creations. Our mission is to create only the best "miki'oi" makau & carvings which sets us apart from all the low-quality mass produced Hawaiian & Polynesian Style carvings you can find for sale on the internet and in the tacky tourist shops. We create every makau from ancient & original designs using modern as well as ancient style techniques & methods. Each piece is painstakingly lashed using age-old techniques, then securely mounted on an ancient Polynesian style hand-plaited cord called a kaula (which is NOT a regualar braid or Kumihimo style cord as seen on many "maori" style hooks  & pendants). This fine cordage is made from many strands of  nylon/polyester 3-ply waxed cord (between 4 to 6), which wont break down from constant wear, water, detergents, body oils, etc. such as most natural fibers. Although natural fibers such as Olona, Hau fiber and coconut sennet are the traditional ancient materials used for Polynesian style cordage, we mainly use nylon/polyester cord for its long lasting strength & durability.

Many Cabanilla Makau wearers are aggresive style surfers, bodyboarders, skimboarders, snowboarders, fisherman etc. and to date there has never been a lost necklace, even under the most extreme conditions, wipeouts and normal daily wear. Each piece will age adding a beautiful honey-colored patina because of the natural oils from the skin of the wearer. Many carver's consider these pieces to carry the "essence" of the owner which makes them priceless and filled with Mana (spiritual power)!

Our most popular and intricate hooks are our custom "Tiki makau" featuring the gods of Polynesian culture finely carved into the shafts of the hooks. Borrowing from an ancient Maori tradition in which the images of Aumakua & Gods are finely carved onto the shaft of the Makau is how we came up with the idea of our copywritten custom designed "HawaiianTiki Makau". Each piece is individually fine carved front & back and then signed by the artist. Every "Tiki Makau" we make differs slightly from the next just as the images of the Hawaiian gods differ from district to district and island to island. So no two Tikis looked exactly the same and like the sacred ki'i (images) of ancient Hawaii, every Cabanilla Makau Tiki fishhook necklace is an original "one-off" creation! Pictured below is the image of "Lono", the Hawai'ian god of peace & prosperity. He was one of the four major gods of Hawaiian culture and the most highly revered. Worshippers sought his guidance and blessings in all things and paid special tribute to Lono at their annual harvest season festival called the "Makahiki". During the celebrations, peace prevailed and the people put aside all grievances as they gave offerings and thanks to Lono for their good crops, rain, sunshine and abundant fishing! 

Makau

(a brief History)

The makau (fishhook) is a symbol of strength & prosperity based on the history, legends & stories of ancient Polynesian culture. The Fishhook was an invaluable tool for providing food to sustain the ohana (family). Lacking ore (metals) of any kind, the ancient Hawaiians used coral files and stone tools to create practical, beautiful and sometimes elaborate hooks using human bone, whale bone, shell & wood. They produced hundreds of styles for all different kinds of fish & fishing techniques. The ancient carvers were highly revered and legends and stories abound about the mana of fish hooks carved from the bones of great fisherman. Hawaiians also believed  that fishhooks made from the bones of people without hair on their bodies, who were termed 'olohe, were more attractive to fish than hooks from normal bones. Thus the 'olohe individuals ran the risk of being prematurely dispatched to supply the luck-

bringing material!

"Tu-Ha" Marquesan God of Fishing