Rattan Key Terms

Learn more about rattan, its features and the industries it serves

By Nikki Davis

Rattan mainly serves the furniture industry. The skin of the plant is removed for weaving, and the harder part of the plant is used for strength and frame in the furniture piece. It is particularly a good choice for making furniture because it accepts paints and stains just like wood does.
Rattan is also widely used in making martial arts sticks due to its durability and lightweight properties. It is a common material used in the production of handles in percussion mallets, and resin produced from it also has been used to dye violins.

Nodes

Rattan nodes are the points of separation in the plant that look like knots going up the length of the plant. Nodes are areas of strength for the plant.
Try: Roatan Furniture talks about how rattan is often confused with bamboo because of the nodes in the plant.

Baston

A baston is a rattan stick used in martial arts for its durability and resistance. It is traditionally used in Filipino martial arts, particularly modern arnis and eskrima.
Try: Learn more about rattan sticks from Norm's Training Blades.

Sulphur fumigation

Sulphur fumigation is a process that large-diameter and peeled rattan goes through. The rattan is smoked overnight with sulphur dioxide fumes in an enclosed chamber, which not only helps preserve the rattan but gives it a uniform color.
Try: The article Rattan in East and South Kalimantan, Indonesia: a Case Study of the Production-to-Constimption Systems gives reference to the fumigation process in large-diameter rattan. FAO mentions the benefits of sulphur fumigation under the section titled "Secondary Processing."

Dragon's blood

Dragon's blood is a red resin exuded from the fruit of some rattan plants. Thought to originally have medicinal properties, it has also been used as a dye for violins and other things.
Try: Read more about Dragon's blood from Global Herbal Supplies.

Lowland dipterocarp forests

Lowland dipterocarp forests are the richest of rattan habitats. Conversion to oil palm or rubber plantations has become popular so large-scale rattan plantations are necessary to preserve and grow this resource.
Try: Learn more about Lowland dipterocarp forests from the Sabah State Government.

Interplanting

Interplanting is when a rattan species is intercropped with another plant, for example rubber trees, to take advantage of already well-managed establishments or semi-abandoned plantations.
Try: Learn about the interplantation of rattan with rubber from the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan.