Most of the layman are sometimes wonder what the exactly different about rattan and wicker? This question is also came up on every products classification from customers of one manufacturer on buying process.
Anyway, the answer is about the definition of each thing between the rattan and the wicker. Overall, the answer will deeply clarify about the product and the process.
Originally, we all knows that rattan is typical of palm tree that can be found in tropical country like in Indonesia. Rattan will start to grow upwards like common tree, but then bends back to ground like a vine. After a few years of it growth, the vine of the rattan will cut into, more or less, 3.7 to 5.5 meters and hauled away for drying. Because of the long process that should be done before creating the products, some manufactures are exporting the raw material of wicker or rattan that already done on process and ready to be formed as furnitures.
The manufacture that usually in charge for exporting the processed rattan is Philippines or those in Southeast Asia to be exported in America, like North Carolina. The products are vary for Wicker Basket, Resin Wicker, Wicker Storage, Wicker Patio, Wicker Cushions, Wicker Garden Furniture
Rattan is considered to be one of the strongest woods available, since its grain grows vertically instead of forming the concentric rings of most other hardwoods. The straight rattan is usually steamed and then bent into the desired shape through the use of specialized shapers. Once the rattan has dried, it will retain its shape forever. These rattan poles are often used to form the frames of what will become rattan or wicker furniture.
Meanwhile, there is no material on Earth called wicker. Some manufacturers may even use the phrase cane furniture in place of either rattan or wicker. It is essentially the same thing as wicker, but the material used in the weaving may or may not be rattan.
Here’s where the difference between rattan and wicker lies. Rattan is a specific material, but wicker is the general process of weaving rattan or other materials into finished goods. A rattan chair is definitely made from rattan, but a wicker chair may use other materials such as straw or bamboo slats around a rattan frame.
Rattan vines may also be peeled mechanically to form thin slats for weaving. The curved outer layer is also used as a decorative trim to hide the rough seams created by the wicker process. Bamboo may also be used for trim, but rarely as a form. Bamboo is hollow, which means it often cracks when steamed and bent. While, rattan is solid, which makes it an ideal material for the lightweight but solid furniture that commonly being call as wicker.
For more information about rattan and rattan furniture, please visit www.javarattan.com