What is
Rattan?
by Amy Kish
In recent years, rattan seems to have taken on the
personification of sleek sophistication. When one sees or hears of rattan,
thoughts of yachts, New York City, South Beach, and crystal clear infinity pools
seem to come to mind. But what is rattan?
Rattan is a hardwood. However, unlike most
hardwoods, the grain of rattan grows vertically instead of in horizontal rings
(similar to bamboo except that rattan is not hollow in the middle, but
completely solid). For this reason, rattan is considered to be one of the
durable woods available! Because of it’s resistance to splintering and
durability, rattan it often used to make canes for martial arts. However,
rattan is most commonly used to make furniture. Like most wood,
rattan furniture accepts paint and/or stain, so
you customize it to your liking.
Rattan is a relative to the tropical palm tree. The name
rattan refers to approximately 600 species of palm that are native to Africa,
Asia, and Australia. Rattan palms are not actually trees but rather, they are
vine-like. When a rattan palm is young, it grows upward like a tree, but as it
ages, it begins to bend back towards the ground and weaves it way through the
rainforest in which it lives. Once a rattan palm has grown for a number of
years, the vines are cut and hauled away for drying. The cut strips of rattan
are first steamed and then bent into the specified shape that the rattan will
retain for its lifetime.
So what is the difference between wicker and rattan? Rattan
is a specific type of material whereas wicker is referring to the process of
weaving something. That something could be rattan or it could be another
material. Therefore, rattan could be considered wicker, but just because
something is called wicker does not mean that it is made from rattan.
