The natural look continues to be a significant popular design trend. But many people can still become confused about the differences between rattan, wicker, and cane.
Rattan is a type of palm or vine that grows in the jungles of Southeast Asia. Rattan refers to a kind of natural material. Wicker is a type of weave using rattan materials. Cane also refers to a type of weave usually woven using rattan material.
Table of Contents
- Differences Between Rattan, Wicker, And Cane Furniture Explained
- Rattan Wicker and Cane Differences Clarified
- Related Content
Differences Between Rattan, Wicker, And Cane Furniture Explained
Natural materials like rattan, wicker, and cane have existed for centuries. They continue to be an essential design trend.
They may seem about the same, but they are not. Rattan, wicker, and cane are all made from the natural rattan palm or vines.
All About Rattan
Rattan is a type of natural palm that climbs around the jungles of mainly Southeast Asia. Rattan is the name of the material that is used for weaving furniture, baskets, and other products.
The rattan material is used in two different ways. One way is the outer shell or the outer skin of the rattan, known as the outer core. The rattan’s inner core or the inner part of the rattan can also be used.
The rattan’s outer core or outer part is usually not painted, but a top coat is placed on it because the rattan’s outer core will give you natural variations of the rattan plant.
If you want to add color to your rattan, you need to use the inner part; the inner part of the rattan will be able to take all kinds of colors.
The rattan material can be cut in various shapes and sizes to be used to weave all kinds of furniture and other products.
All About Wicker
Wicker is a type of weave. It will use the inner part of the rattan, so the wicker is essentially rattan woven into what is known as the wicker weave.
The wicker weave is one of the oldest weaves; it is the weave that most people think about for hand-woven furniture or baskets. The word wicker is believed to come from the Swedish word “vikker,” which means willow.
The wicker weave is usually made from rattan. But it can also be made from bamboo, reed, willow, or even synthetic rattan fibers. Wicker can be a weave made from many types of natural and even man-made materials.
The name wicker refers to the method or type of weave, not the material itself. When you have a piece of furniture, and somebody tells you it is a wicker piece of furniture, they are referring to the weave on the furniture, not the material being used.
You can watch our video below to see a wicker weave manufactured with faux rattan or rattan for outdoor use. You can see how fast the weavers are weaving these types of materials and this type of weave.
The wicker weave is a weave that needs to be done by hand. Wicker furniture needs to be woven by hand and by skilled weavers who can weave the furniture.
All About Cane
When we talk about Cane, we also refer to the type of weave. Cane is usually woven from rattan. Often, it is the outer part of the rattan, but it can also be the inner part or another material such as faux rattan.
Cane is not limited by the material but is a type of weave, it can be woven in various materials. The wicker weave is a weave that needs to be done by hand. Wicker furniture needs to be woven by hand and by skilled weavers who can weave the furniture.
Cane, or caning, is usually woven on a loom. Watch our video on hand-weaving cane to see how the cane is woven by clicking below:
As you can see, cane weaving is very much a hand-woven process. But as the cane is usually used as part of the furniture, it is woven flat on a particular hand caning loom.
Rattan Wicker and Cane Differences Clarified
These three terms can confuse how many people use them to describe a piece of furniture. Somebody may tell you you have a rattan piece of furniture, meaning it is made of rattan material.
On the other hand, you can also have a wicker piece of furniture using the rattan material, except the main difference is that it is a wicker weave.
It can become confusing as someone may tell you you have a rattan piece of furniture and a wicker piece of furniture, and they can use the same weave. Both of them are correct because if your rattan furniture uses a wicker weave, it could be called rattan furniture, and if your wicker weave uses rattan, it can also be called wicker furniture.
Cane is usually made from rattan material but can also use other materials. Cane is usually not as confusing as rattan and wicker as most people; when we see a cane weave, we recognize it as a cane or caning.
If this can all seem a bit confusing, it is. But the main thing to remember is that rattan refers to a type of palm or vine growing in Southeast Asia’s jungles. Rattan is a type of material.
On the other hand, wicker and cane refer to the type of weave used, not the actual material. Even though both are usually made with rattan material, the words refer to the type of weave, not the actual material.
And that is the main difference between rattan, wicker, and cane.
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Related Content
Can You Fix Rattan Furniture?
One of the first things you must determine about your rattan furniture is what kind of rattan it is; whether it is a natural rattan or faux rattan. To repair, tuck the rattan furniture core under the chair or furniture piece and then glue it. We recommend gluing it twice. If you need to reweave sections, you can follow this same process.
You can discover more by reading Can You Fix Rattan Furniture? by clicking here.
Can You Paint Plastic Rattan Or Faux Rattan Furniture?
The short answer to this is that you should not paint your plastic or faux rattan furniture. The plastic or faux rattan material is not made or manufactured to be painted. If you paint on your plastic or faux rattan furniture, the paint will eventually peel and crack; the painting could also damage the furniture.
You can learn more by reading Can You Paint Plastic Rattan Or Faux Rattan Furniture? by clicking here.
How To Bend And Shape Rattan
Rattan can be bent and shaped in a variety of ways. The rattan must first be pliable so that it can be bent. Several methods are used to accomplish this. Once the rattan is pliable, it can be shaped in various ways.
By clicking here, you can learn more by reading our blog How To Bend And Shape Rattan by clicking here.
