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Thinking of Buying Rattan? Read This First!
This is for everyone who loves rattan furniture. If you want to put pretty rattan chairs and tables in your home, this is for you.
When you go to buy rattan furniture, here are a few simple questions to ask.
First, ask: “How much weight can this chair hold?”
This is the most important question. A good rattan chair is very strong. It can easily hold a weight of up to 200 kgs.
Why? Because rattan is flexible. It can bend a little. The curves in the chair help spread out the weight. This makes the chair strong and safe.
If the seller says the chair can only hold around 80 kgs, that is a warning sign. You want a chair that can do its most important job: hold people safely!
Next, ask: “What kind of rattan did you use?”
The type of rattan makes a big difference in its strength.
Ask if they used “Tohiti” or “Manu” rattan. These kinds are known to be very strong, flexible, and last for a very long time.
If they say they used other kinds, like “Raidang” or “Hill Jati,” you should be careful. While these can be used, Tohiti and Manu are naturally stronger.
Then, ask: “How did you bend the rattan?”
To make the beautiful curves in rattan furniture, the rattan must be bent. Ask the seller how they did it.
Good craftsmen do not burn the rattan to bend it. Instead, they steam it. Steaming the rattan makes it soft and easy to bend without making it weak.
Instead of burning rattan, the top craftsmen steam it as shown in the picture above, so that the rattan does not lose its strength.
If they say they burned the rattan black to bend it, please do not buy that piece. When rattan is burned, the bent parts become weak. These bends are supposed to make the chair strong, not just look pretty. A burnt bend is a weak spot.
Lastly, look at the color.
Have you seen that a lot of rattan furniture is painted a very dark brown or dark red?
Below are pictures where you can see that armrests are all in dark red color. That is often because those parts have been burnt to bend them, leaving black marks. To hide these marks, the makers paint them with dark red or brown color.
A good piece of rattan furniture does not need to hide anything. Look below at how smooth and natural the bends look on a chair made with steamed rattan.
We have been working with rattan for over 70 years with our parent company SSK. We want you to be happy with your furniture. It does not matter if you buy from us or someone else. Please ask these simple questions. This will help you buy a good and strong piece of furniture that you will love for a long, long time.
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