‘Opihi (limpit shells)

These two ‘opihi shells were polished by Dalani Tanahy for use as scrapers. Kapa, or Hawaiian tapa is made from the soft inner bark of the wauke or tapa tree. The tough outer bark must first be removed and much of this can be peeled off by hand, however sometimes smaller patches adhere and must be scraped. There are many different methods and tools used for this today, however Dalani Tanahy prefers the ‘opihi because they are easy to find and work best for novices learning to make kapa.