Everything about Rattan totally explained
Rattan (from the
Malay rotan), is the name for the roughly six hundred
species of
palms in the tribe
Calameae, native to tropical regions of
Africa,
Asia and
Australasia. Most rattans are distinct from other palms in having slender stems 2–5 cm diameter with long
internodes between the
leaves; their consequent growth habit also differs, not being
trees but
vine-like, scrambling through and over other vegetation. They are also superficially similar to
bamboo, but distinct in that the stems ("malacca") are solid, rather than hollow, and also in their need for some sort of support; while bamboo can grow on its own, rattan cannot. Some genera (for example
Metroxylon,
Pigafetta,
Raphia) are however more like typical palms, with stouter, erect trunks. Many rattans are also
spiny, the spines acting as hooks to aid climbing over other plants, and also to deter
herbivores. Rattans have been known to grow up to hundreds of metres long. Most (70%) of the world's rattan population exist in
Indonesia, distributed among
Borneo,
Celebes,
Sumbawa islands. The rest of the world's supply comes from the
Philippines,
Sri Lanka,
Malaysia and
Bangladesh.
In the forests where rattan grows, its economic value can help protect forest land, by providing an alternative to loggers who forgo timber logging and harvest rattan
canes instead. Rattan is much easier to harvest, requiring simpler tools and also much easier to transport. Furthermore, compared to most tropical wood, rattan is much faster growing. This makes it a potential tool in forest maintenance, since it provides a profitable crop that depends on rather than replaces trees. Whether it can be as profitable or useful as the alternatives, however, remains to be seen.
Uses
Generally, raw rattan is processed into several products to be used as materials in
furniture making. The various species of rattan ranges from several millimetres up to 5–7 cm in diameter. From a strand of rattan, the skin is usually peeled off, to be used as rattan weaving material. The remaining "core" of the rattan can be used for various purposes in furniture making. Rattan is a very good material mainly because it's lightweight, durable, and—to a certain extent—flexible.
Rattans are extensively used for making furniture and baskets. Cut into sections, rattan can be used as wood to make furniture. Rattan accepts
paints and
stains like many other kinds of wood, so it's available in many colours; and it can be worked into many styles. Moreover, the inner core can be separated and worked into
wicker.
Due to its durability and resistance to splintering, sections of rattan can be used as
staves or
canes for
martial arts—rattan sticks 70 cm long are used in
Filipino martial arts tournaments. Rattan is generally the only material accepted for the construction of weapons in
Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) martial combat.
Along with
birch and bamboo, rattan is a common material used for the handles in percussion mallets, especially mallets for
keyboard percussion (
vibraphone,
xylophone,
marimba, etc.).
The
fruit of some rattans exudes a red
resin called
dragon's blood. This resin was thought to have medicinal properties in antiquity and was also used as a dye for
violins, among other things. The resin normally results in a wood with a light peach hue.
Caning
Rattan canes are also a common choice for inflicting
pain, in disciplinary, legal
punishment, such as
caning people, a form of punishment still popular in many countries such as
Malaysia,
Vietnam,
Singapore, and
Brunei. It can also be used for
torture or for pleasure, as in
BDSM contexts. It was a rattan cane that was used for the caning of
Michael P. Fay in 1994.
The Sandman, a professional wrestler famous for his time on ECW and WWE, had a Singapore cane which he used as a trademark weapon. Often matches such as Singapore cane on a Pole matches would occur if he used his frequently in a rivalry.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Rattan'.
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