Are you a furniture maker or designer unsure about the best rattan cane to use for your next project? Many find it difficult to distinguish between types and grades, leading to costly mistakes.

Choosing the right rattan cane for furniture making involves understanding its various forms like webbing, core, and poles, along with their specific grades. We offer authentic natural rattan and innovative plastic alternatives, ensuring durability and style for all your furniture needs.

At SeaFan Rattan, my journey began in 1995. I have dedicated myself to understanding every aspect of rattan material. I help furniture makers and designers worldwide find exactly what they need for their projects.

What kind of cane is used to make furniture?

Are you wondering which specific types of rattan cane are best suited for building durable and beautiful furniture? The wide array of options can make selection confusing and impact your final product’s quality.

Furniture making primarily uses rattan cane webbing for seats and panels, rattan core for weaving and securing, and rattan poles for structural frames. Each form has specific grades and applications, with Grade C natural rattan often ideal for cost-effective, strong chair seats.

When a furniture maker like Jacky asks me what kind of cane to use, it is always a detailed conversation. We use different parts of the rattan plant. The main one is rattan cane webbing. This is a crucial material for chair seats, cabinet doors, and decorative panels. We also use rattan core. This is for weaving and for securing webbing into furniture frames. Rattan poles are for the main structure of furniture. They give strength. Then there is rattan chair cane, which is thinner and used for hand-weaving detailed patterns on chairs. We also make rattan mats and full rattan webbing panels for different uses. Natural rattan is an eco-friendly product. It is a natural material, but its supply can be short at times. I always explain our grading system. Rattan material has four grades: A, B, C, and D. Grade A is the best. It is the most expensive and has a very clean look. Grade B is a middle grade. It offers good looks and price. Grade C is strong enough. It usually has green peel on it. I often tell customers that Grade C is the best choice for rattan chair making. Especially if your rattan furniture or rattan chair will use a dark color. It is strong enough for chair seats, and it costs less. The green peel will not show once the chair is dark. However, it is not popular for furniture needing a light, natural color because of the green peel. Grade D rattan has a beautiful color. It is good for decoration, but it is not strong enough for furniture. It breaks easily. So, it fits better for project decoration, like wall or ceiling panels. Since 2018, we have also developed more color choices for our natural rattan cane webbing, which is very popular now.

• Types of Rattan Cane for Furniture:
  • Rattan Cane Webbing¹: For seats, backs, cabinet inserts, decorative panels.
  • Rattan Core²: Used as spline to hold webbing in place, or for weaving projects.
  • Rattan Chair Cane³: Thin strands for intricate hand-weaving patterns.
  • Rattan Pole: Structural support for furniture frames.
  • Rattan Mats/Panels: Larger pre-woven sheets for larger surfaces.
• Rattan Grading System:
  • Grade A: Top quality, highest price, cleanest appearance.
  • Grade B: Mid-range quality, good look and price balance.
  • Grade C: Strong, cost-effective for dark-colored furniture, may have green peel. Recommended for chair seats when stained dark.
  • Grade D: Decorative only, beautiful color, but not strong for furniture.

What’s the difference between cane and rattan?

Are you confused by the terms "cane" and "rattan" when discussing furniture materials? Many people use them interchangeably, but there’s a clear distinction that affects your material choices.

Rattan is the general term for the climbing palm plant. Cane is specifically the outer bark or skin of the rattan vine, which is woven into webbing or used as individual strands. So, cane is a specific part or product derived from the larger rattan plant.

I often clarify this point for my customers. Rattan refers to the entire plant. It is a type of climbing palm. Cane is actually the outer skin of the rattan vine. We strip this skin off the rattan pole. Then we use this cane in different ways. We weave it into rattan cane webbing. We also use it as individual strands, which we call rattan chair cane, for hand-weaving. The inner, softer part of the rattan pole, after the skin is removed, is processed into rattan core. The entire pole, of course, is used as rattan poles for strong furniture frames. So, you can see, cane is "rattan," but it is a specific part of the rattan plant. Rattan, as a whole, is an eco-friendly product, natural, and beautiful. My factory, Baizhao Rattan Cane Webbing Factory, has been working with all these parts of the rattan plant since 1995. We have seen how the global market for these materials has changed. For example, since 2018, Indonesia banned the export of raw rattan material. This caused a shortage in the China market. It made the cost of all rattan products go very high. This change in raw material supply affects everything, from the whole rattan pole to the thin rattan cane we use for weaving. We adapted by building strong supply chains in China to manage these changes and ensure our customers still get good quality products.

• Rattan vs. Cane:
  • Rattan: The entire tropical climbing palm plant.
  • Cane: The outer, tough bark or skin of the rattan vine.
• Uses of Different Rattan Parts:
  • Cane (skin): Used for weaving rattan cane webbing, or as thin strands (chair cane) for hand-weaving.
  • Rattan Core (inner part): Used as spline for securing webbing, or for weaving.
  • Rattan Poles (whole stalk): Used for structural furniture frames.
• Market Impact:
  • Natural rattan supply faces challenges due to raw material bans.
  • This impacts the cost and availability of all rattan components, including cane.

What is the disadvantage of rattan?

Are you weighing the pros and cons of using rattan and concerned about its potential drawbacks? Understanding the disadvantages is crucial for making informed material choices for your furniture projects.

The main disadvantages of natural rattan include high cost due to raw material shortages, inconsistent supply, and limited suitability for outdoor use. However, these drawbacks are increasingly addressed by innovative plastic rattan cane webbing alternatives that offer durability and cost efficiency.

When I talk to furniture makers, or even wholesalers like Adel, we often discuss the challenges of natural rattan. One major disadvantage is the cost. Since 2018, Indonesia’s government banned the export of raw rattan material. This caused a huge shortage of raw rattan cane in China. Because of this, the cost of all rattan products went very high. This made it difficult for many of our customers to accept the high prices. Another disadvantage is that natural rattan, traditionally, is not very good for outdoor use. It can break down quickly in hot or wet environments. Also, the supply of high-grade natural rattan can be unstable, making it hard to plan big orders.

However, we at SeaFan Rattan work hard to overcome these disadvantages. We developed our Plastic Rattan Cane Webbing⁴ as a key solution. This innovative material costs about half the price of natural cane webbing. We also developed many colors and weaving patterns for it, meeting requests from furniture makers and hotel project designers like Peter. This gives stable supply and more design flexibility. Looking ahead to 2025, our advancements are even more significant. We are developing more than 10 kinds of our Plastic Rattan Cane webbing specifically for outdoor furniture. We have test reports showing it lasts a long time, even in hot environments. Using this outdoor plastic cane webbing helps manufacturers avoid a lot of human weaving on chairs. This can save up to 80% on worker weaving costs. It offers more color choices and is perfect for KD (knock-down) rattan outdoor furniture. So, while natural rattan has its disadvantages, we provide strong, cost-effective alternatives that solve these problems.

• Disadvantages of Natural Rattan:
  • High Cost: Increased significantly after the 2018 Indonesian raw material export ban.
  • Supply Shortage: Difficulty in consistent sourcing of raw material.
  • Outdoor Suitability: Traditionally not durable for long-term outdoor exposure.
  • Inconsistent Grading: Natural variations (e.g., green peel in Grade C).
• SeaFan Rattan’s Solutions to Disadvantages:
  • Plastic Rattan Cane Webbing:
    • Cost: Half the price of natural.
    • Supply: Stable production from our factories.
    • Durability: Enhanced, with 10+ outdoor types from 2025, tested for hot environments.
    • Design: Many colors, mix patterns, composite options.
    • Efficiency: Saves 80% on outdoor furniture weaving costs; suitable for KD furniture.

How to adhere rattan to furniture?

Are you new to working with rattan and unsure about the best methods for attaching it securely to your furniture pieces? Proper adherence is key to a durable and professional finish.

To adhere rattan cane webbing to furniture, the most common method involves fitting the pre-soaked webbing into a routed groove using a rattan core (Leiste⁵) and glue. For other rattan forms like poles or decorative panels, specific glues, screws, or weaving techniques are used.

When furniture makers need to attach rattan cane webbing, they usually use a classic method. It gives a very strong and clean finish. First, you need to prepare the furniture frame. This means having a routed groove around the opening where the webbing will go. Before starting, the natural rattan cane webbing needs to be soaked in warm water for about 30 minutes. This makes it soft and flexible. It also allows the webbing to tighten as it dries, giving a taut finish. After soaking, place the wet webbing over the opening. Then, you carefully press the edges of the webbing into the groove. You use a thin strip of rattan core, also called a spline, to push the webbing firmly into the groove. A small hammer and a wedge tool help with this. You also apply woodworking glue into the groove before inserting the spline. This locks everything in place. Once the spline is fully in the groove, you trim off any excess webbing. For other rattan materials, such as rattan poles, they are usually joined with screws, dowels, or strong adhesives designed for wood. For decorative rattan webbing panels that are not load-bearing, you might use contact cement or specific glues. For finer rattan chair cane, it is hand-woven directly onto the frame, often through drilled holes. My factories also make full rattan webbing panels, which can be secured more simply with glue and small nails or staples, then covered with trim for a finished look. This process ensures the rattan stays firmly in place for a long time.

• Methods for Adhering Rattan:
  • For Rattan Cane Webbing (Traditional):
    • Step 1: Preparation: Soak webbing in warm water to make it pliable and allow for tightening.
    • Step 2: Groove Installation: Place wet webbing over a routed furniture opening.
    • Step 3: Spline & Glue: Press webbing into the groove with a rattan core (spline) and woodworking glue.
    • Step 4: Finishing: Trim excess webbing.
  • For Rattan Poles (Structural):
    • Used with screws, dowels, or strong wood adhesives.
  • For Decorative Panels/Mats:
    • Can be attached with contact cement, specific glues, or small fasteners, often hidden by trim.
  • For Rattan Chair Cane (Hand-woven):
    • Woven directly through pre-drilled holes in the furniture frame.

Conclusion

Making furniture from rattan cane involves selecting the right material, understanding its forms, and knowing how to apply it. We offer both natural and plastic rattan, making your projects strong and beautiful.