Rattan, Wicker, Bamboo & Cane

Rattan can be traced back as far as the ancient Egyptians who made wicker baskets around 4000 BC and wicker furniture around 2800 BC.

By the 16th century, wicker and rattan furniture was popular worldwide.  The first wicker known to American was a wicker crib, which arrived on the Mayflower in 1620.

In the mid 1800's rattan and wicker furniture was manufactured in the U.S. for the first time.

Rattan can be traced back as far as the ancient Egyptians who made wicker baskets around 4000 BC and wicker furniture around 2800 BC.

By the 16th century, wicker and rattan furniture was popular worldwide. The first wicker known to American was a wicker crib, which arrived on the Mayflower in 1620.

In the mid 1800's rattan and wicker furniture was manufactured in the U.S. for the first time.

Rattan:

1) Rattan is a trailing vine of the palm family that grows wild in tropical areas of the world.

2) It starts by growing upward like a palm, but its own weight causes it to droop and grow along the ground.

3) When the vine reaches a tree, its thorns will embed into the tree and then the vine grows upward towards the sun.

4) When it reaches treetop level the weight causes the vine to grown down the other side of the tree. When it reaches the ground, the cycle starts all over again.

5) Over a period of 14 years, the vines can reach 600 feet in length and 2 inches in diameter

6) Rattan is not hollow like bamboo.

7) Rattan's grain runs lengthwise - wood grain runs in circumference rings. Thus, rattan has unmatched flexibility and when steamed can be bent into almost any shape and after cooling retains that shape.

8) Worldwide there are over 600 species of rattan. The best rattan for furniture making grows in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Philippines and Indonesia. The primary differences are uniformity of pole diameters, greater flexibility, and consistent coloration.

9) Once harvested, thorns are removed and poles are cut into lengths of 15 to 18 feet. The poles are bundled and floated down river to large staging areas where they are dried in the sun. After drying, they are dipped into an insecticide bath and shipped to various rattan factories.

Wicker:

Wicker, by definition, is anything woven - it may be woven reeds, rush, willow, paper, etc. However, most often wicker is made of rattan core that is produced by pulling a rattan pole through razor sharp knife blades that form long round strands.

Bamboo:

Bamboo is often confused with rattan but is a totally different species. Bamboo is hollow except at the nodes. It is very difficult to bend without splitting, but is also very strong and provides a different look in furniture.

Cane:

Also called peel cane, it is the skin of the rattan pole. Real cane is a quality feature on furniture. It is also used to wrap the joints of rattan furniture.

What is Rattan?

Rattan is a solid vine that grows in the tropical rain forests of Southeast Asia. The diameter can vary from a quarter inch to over two inches. The rattan pole when subjected to wet heat can be formed or bent into various shapes to make furniture. The harvest time for rattan is generally 6 to 8 years.

What is Wicker?

By definition, wicker is furniture that is woven by hand. The weaving material most often used is made of rattan solid core that is shredded round or flat.

What is Bamboo?

Bamboo is a species of the rattan family that is hollow and that also grows to various diameters. Rattan and bamboo are often confused because they look alike. The primary difference is that bamboo is hollow and cannot be bent in endless shapes as the solid rattan vine. However, bamboo is incredibly strong due to its thick outer wall and can be made into furniture. Because bamboo is hollow the outer skin can develop small cracks on the surface, which is a natural characteristic of the material and should not be considered a defect.

What is Peel?

Peel is the outer skin of the rattan vine that has been split into uniform strands. Peel is commonly used for wrapping joints on rattan and bamboo furniture and is used to make wicker furniture, which is then referred to as woven peel wicker. Woven peel is also used on chair backs and in some cases chair seats. This process is normally referred to as Peel Cane. Real Peel Cane is considered a quality process over paper cane that is used by a lot of manufacturers.

What is the purpose of the nodes or joints on rattan and bamboo?

Nodes act as growth on rattan or bamboo poles. Nodes should be spaced 12 to 18 inches apart on a mature pole. In the harvesting process the workers use this guideline in determining the mature rattan poles.

Is wicker, rattan and bamboo a practical product to use in making furniture?

Wicker, rattan and bamboo are very practical because they are extremely durable and rugged. The rattan species is one of the strongest wood materials available and can last a lifetime if properly maintained.