In Indonesia, rattan is harvested in the  jungles of Borneo, Sulawesi and Sumatra. Trading has bee mainly concentrated on the  island of Java. Over time Cirebon, a port city about 250 km East of Java, Indonesia's capital city, established it self as the rattan trade centerand subsequent rattan manufacturing center. It was probably Cirebon's proximity to the island of Borneo that made it more favorable for rattan shipments than the bigger harborsof Jakarta and Surabaya.

Until 1987, almost all rattan was exported as a raw material to overseas markets and only a small portion of lower quality rattan remained in Cirebon. This was turned in to furniture and household products by small home-industries. During that time Indonesia only exported finished goods, with relatively simple designs, on a small scale.

When in 1987 Indonesia's government decided to stop exporting raw rattan, demand for  finished rattan furniture soared and gave an impetus to Cirebon's rattan Industry. It was some while before larger factories were established and even today many rattan furniture exporters out source their production to home industries and act only as intermediaries.

As a consequence, rattan furniture from Cirebon is sometimes considered to be inferior to rattan furniture from other regions in South East Asia, such as Thailand and Philippines. Only few factories currently do their entire production in house. Even fewer factories exist that employ their own designers, who are often highly skilled expatriates from all corners of the world. The furniture pieces are constructed with rattan frames for strength and stability, then some are covered with woven banana bark  and sea grass, two new products. This gives the rattan a whole new look that is soft and natural. Some pieces are framed with wood stained to match, adding another dimension of interest. Every pieces has two layers of weaving, one on the front and one on the back, for stability and durability. Be sure to check the underside of the rattan to see how the pieces are finished

Biology And Processing

Rattan is a member of the palm family (the genus clamu). Several hundred species flourish in the rattan plantation of India, South Asia, China, and Indonesia. Rattan grows as a long slender stem, similar to a vine, up to 200 meters in length according to the species. Yet it maintains an almost uniform diameter throughout its length. It has an inner core and is not hollow like bamboo.

It is one of nature's strongest materials. The outer portion of the stem is extremely hard and durable, while the inner portion of the stem is softer and some what porous and not hollow like bamboo. It will not splinter or break, is extremely resilient and is ideal for the making of furniture. There is no harvesting season for rattan as it grows year round.

Harvesting can be difficult due to the topography and inaccessibility of the jungle. The harvested rattan is cut into 12-15 foot lengths and tied into large bundles to make the journey from the jungle to a processing area.

There the workers remove the bark and cut the lengths into thin strips to be used in cane seats chair backs. The pithy interior is then cut into reed for use in wicker work. Because rattan is extremely strong and can be fastened as securely as wood, the entire pole is used to make furniture. This look like bamboo but is much stronger. When heated with steam or a blowtorch, rattan becomes very pliable and can be bent into  a variety of shapes without cracking.

Finished rattan furniture is as strong as steel is nearly indestructible. It requires no particular maintenance and is extremely durable. Having been fumigated at the factory, it is also virtually immune against rodents, unlike bamboo, which deteriorates relatively quickly. Even if the condition of the furniture is in disrepair, most items can be restored to their original condition.

Types of Rattan

1. Regular rattan is called Sanded Peel, which is made from the skin of the rattan poles. The dimensions of the Sanded Peel can be up to 5 cm wide, 1-1.5 thick and 4-8 meters in length. The Sanded Peel used in hand woven rattan is strong, flexible and comes in a range of colors which are very stable.

2. Water grass (hyacinths) or Sea Grass comes from a leaf of a special grass in Indonesia. It is green in color but when dry it turns a brown tone. The material is woven like rope with a 4 mm diameter the final product is strong and fleible and the color stable when dry.

3. Abaca comes from the bark of a special banana tree. The material is very strong and flexible. The color varies taupe white to dark brown. The Abaca is twisted into rope that is about 8mm in diameter then woven into chairs.

Comparison between Rattan and Bamboo

Bamboo is member of the grass family, with stalks that grow up to 100 feet. Like rattan, bamboo has a tough outer coat that is stripped off to make cane, and is sometimes used as framing for wicker work. The stalks are also used to make furniture. However bamboo is hollow, it isn't as strong as its solid cousin. And , unlike rattan, the joints of the bamboo stalk are susceptible to moisture and need to be sealed.

How to care for your Rattan Furniture

Rattan and whicker frames require very little maintenance. Dusting with a soft damp cloth or vacuuming with a brush attachment will keep your furniture looking good. Spills should be taken care of immediately before they harden or stain, by wiping with a damp sponge and little detergent. Then rinsed and left to dry in the sun. Rattan is best when kept on a covered patio or and inside a solarium.

Rattan poles can easily be touched up with premium wood stains, gloss lacquers or furniture touch up pens available from local home improvement centers.

           Banana Abaca                                     Rattan                                     Rattan Peel

       Rattan Crocodile Nest                                               Water Grass Hyacinth

                                                                                  Sea Grass      

    Teak is the common name for Tectano grandis of the family verbenaceae, native of India, Myanmar (Burma), and Thailand. The teak used in Indonesia was plantation grown by the Dutch since 1816 and until today is controlled by the Indonesia Government.

The Tectona Grandis tree matures to height of 46 m (150 ft) with a straight trunk. Leaves are similar to that of tobacco leaves and grow to approximately produce many small white flowers.

Teak wood is well know since early ancient times as a valuable resource due to its long life relibility and weather resistance as well as its workable aualities. Pieces of teak have been found (in India) over 200 year old and still intact.

Teak wood is probably most well know for its use in boat building, wharves and bridgesas well as fine furniture, venetian blinds and veneers. Since ancient times, teak has been one of the worlds most valuable timber tree. The wood is easily worked and well noted for its resistance to decay. Intact pieces more than 200 year old have been found in India. Teak is used for ship, wharves, and bridges as well asfor fine furniture, venetian blinds, and veneer. Teak also refers specifically to the wood and its characteristic color, which ranges from olive to yellowish gray or moderate brown.

Teak furniture dates back prior to the 19th century used mainly by the Chinese for export to Europe. The Victorian era also incorporated the use of teak wood during the mechanical era of the 1840's with the invention of presses, veneer cutters etc which enable them to create decorative elegant high class furniture. Another factor here is transportation shipping was also becoming more advanced.

The teak out door furniture, which is sold around the world, comes from tree farms, not from natural forests. Fortunately, strong efforts have been made in the past decade to assure carefully controlled sustained yield sources of teak from South East Asia.

It is also importsnt to note that the manufacturing of wood products as teak outdoor furniture is very efficient when compared to the energy required to produce aluminum or plastic. Wood comes to us as a finished product from trees, whereas plastics, aluminum and many other materials must be manufactured before being made into furniture. For example, in order to obtain the "raw material" for plastic furniture, factories must be built to manufacture the synthentic resins, which are needed to produce plastic. Resins are produced by heating various chemical compounds and then are processed again to produce plastic products.

In an effort to conserve energy and resources, some conscientious teak furniture manufacturers use the small scraps of teak, which would normally be discarded as fuel for the boilers, which heat the kilns in which the teak is dried before furniture manufacturing begins. Further more, manufacturers with integrated wood product plants salvage larger wood scraps for use in manufacturing other wood products such as parquet flooring.

And what about our land fills? We can find plenty of old plastic, metal, and aluminum furniture, which haven't been properly recycled, but furniture made of wood is not a problem. Teak out door furniture is simply so durable and usually so timeless in style that it is used for generations. And, if and when it ever is discarded, no harm is done to the environment by returning untreated wood to the earth.

Enduring Teak

 When one works with a product as teak, which has a long standing reputation for enduring qualities, it is easy to assume that others are familiar with the many reasons for its high rating in the out door furniture business. But unless you are in some way involved in the timber industry or another profession, which requires technical knowledge of the quality of various woods, you probably don't know everything there is to know about teak. If you are looking for garden furniture, there are some interesting fact about teak and its use in the out door furniture market that will help you choose what type of furniture to specify.

Durability

The most important characteristic of teak is its durability in all weather conditions. Teak is an extremely dense grained hard wood, which resists rot, warping, shrinking and swelling. Its high natural oil content continually preserves the wood so it can be left out doors for decades

How durable is teak when left out doors? It is said that the first out door teak benches were actually made of decking from old sailing ships. The decking on these ship was in such good condition when the ships were about to be scrapped, the wood was recycled and remade into out door furniture. Public parks all over England are furnished with teak benches, some of which are nearly a century old.

Aesthetics

Teak furniture is very smooth to the touch and does not spinter. Teak even smells good it has a faint, pleasant aromatic smell. Not only does teak have a warm appearance, but it also atay  very neutral in temperature compared to plastic or metal furniture when exposed to the head of the sun or cold winter days.

Teak also is one of the few materials that actually beautifies with age. The silvery gray patina, which develops over time, gives teak out door furniture a richness and stateliness. The slow, natural weathering of teak results in outdoor furniture that blends in naturally to become part of the environment in which it is placed. When untreated teak is used indoors (as it is in restaurants, office lobbies, shopping centers, etc.), the wood grain even in tone, becoming and staying a very rich golden brown colors.

Design which works

Out doors furniture made of teak is usually very classic and simple in design. The natural appearance of teak wood lends it self to uncomplicated designs that subtly blend in with the surrounding architecture and landscape. The stateliness of teak furniture works equally well on the terraces of traditional country inns or in the lobbies of the most contemporary hotels.

Over the past 10 year, as designers and architects have become more acquainted with the versatility and durability of teak out door furniture, the range in available styles has grown. Along with the classic designs, more streamlined, contemporary designs have reached the market. While it is always to have a broad range of styles to choose from, it is important to styles, which are so modern that they appear to be interior furniture that has been brought out doors.

When choosing teak out door furniture, look for styles that will enhance, but not over power the land scape or setting for which it is chsen. Attention should be paid to the scale of the surroundings vast estate like buildings require benches and dining groupings, which are very substantial in dimension and weight. In contrast, smaller, more delicate architecture will need lighter weight furniture.

Care Instructions

Teak wood, when left bare and UN sanded will fade to a natural silver gray color. This silver color tranformation does in any way affect the durability of the  furniture or the wood it self.

To maintain the smooth finish and golden brown color of your teak furniture, you will need to sand the furniture regularly. To prolong the period of time need between sanding, teak oil may also be applied.

If you choose to apply teak oil, apply every 6 month, or follow the teak oil container directions. Again,if you choose to maintain the smooth brown finis of your new teak furniture, this method requires some manitenance for up keep such as sanding and reapplication of teak oil. Using oil doest not prolong the life of teak. Teak oil, along with sanding, simply maintains the golden brown color.

Staining: please note, once you stain your teak, it will not return to the natural golden brown or weathered silver gray color without sanding off. Stain is intended to be permanent. If you choose to stain your furniture it hard turn silver gray, you must first san it before applying stain.

1. "Do not leave yor teak furniture in puddles of water or on wet ground".

2. "Cover your teak furniture during the winter month or move into covered storage if in wet climates".