, Philippines forest in the Philippines In forests where rattan grows, its economic value can play a crucial role in conservation efforts. By offering an alternative source of income, rattan harvesting can deter loggers from engaging in timber logging. Harvesting rattan canes is simpler and requires less sophisticated tools compared to logging operations. Furthermore, rattan grows rapidly, which facilitates quicker replenishment compared to tropical wood species.This economic incentive supports forest maintenance by providing a profitable crop that complements rather than competes with trees. However, the long-term profitability and utility of rattan compared to other alternatives remain subjects of ongoing evaluation and study. Cleaned rattan stems with the leaf sheaths removed are superficially similar to
bamboo. Unlike bamboo, rattan stems are not hollow. Most (70%) of the world's rattan population exists in
Indonesia, distributed among the islands
Borneo,
Sulawesi, and
Sumbawa. The rest of the world's supply comes from the
Philippines,
Sri Lanka,
Malaysia,
Bangladesh and
Assam, India.
Food source lituko (
Calamus manillensis fruits) from
Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines Some rattan fruits are edible, with a sour taste akin to citrus. 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 used as a dye for
violins, among other things. The resin normally results in a wood with a light peach hue. The stem tips are rich in
starch, and can be eaten raw or roasted. Long stems can be cut to obtain potable water. The
palm heart can also be eaten raw or cooked.
Medicinal potential In early 2010, scientists in Italy announced that rattan wood would be used in a new "wood to bone" process for the production of
artificial bone. The process takes small pieces of rattan and places them in a furnace.
Calcium and
carbon are added. The wood is then further heated under intense pressure in another oven-like machine, and a phosphate solution is introduced. This process produces almost an exact replica of bone material. The process takes about 10 days. At the time of the announcement the bone was being tested in sheep, and there had been no signs of rejection. Particles from the sheep's bodies have migrated to the "wood bone" and formed long, continuous bones. The new bone-from-wood programme is being funded by the
European Union. By 2023, experimental implants into humans were taking place.
Rattan handicrafts and furniture Rattan is extensively used for making handicrafts (like baskets),
furniture, and decorative art. Generally, raw rattan is processed into several products to be used as materials. Whole rattan stems can be used like wood as the framework for furniture and larger handicrafts. It can accept paints and stains much like other types of wood. The outer layers can be pared off into strips, to be used as rattan
weaving material. Rattan is a popular material for furniture-making, mainly because it is lightweight, durable, and, to a certain extent, flexible and suitable for outdoor use. industrial designer
Kenneth Cobonpue Chair,
Josephinism style, typical Viennese, around 1780. The seat and back
wickerwork panels are woven of rattan, while the frame is hardwood. Woven rattan panels in various patterns are also used for furniture whose framework can be made of rattan canes or from hardwood. One of the most common weaving patterns is the (also spelled
sulihiya, from Spanish , "latticework"), a traditional open weaving pattern originating from the
Philippines. It features a distinctive repetitive grid of sunburst shapes with large hexagonal gaps, allowing air to freely flow through, a necessity in the hot tropics. This weaving pattern (originally used in
wall panels and baskets) became incorporated into traditional long-armed lounge chairs () and for
siesta day beds () during the
Spanish colonial period of the Philippines before spreading throughout Southeast Asia. The standard six-way weave with hexagonal holes is more accurately known as the . It has several variations, including a simpler four-way weave (), more intricate diamond weaves (used for high-end furniture and decorative items), and stronger double weaves (which feature two layers of rattan woven together for extra strength). In Europe, an identical pattern to the six-way weave is known as the
Wiener Geflecht ("Viennese Braiding"), as it first became popular in 18th century
Vienna. This pattern was later prominently used by
Thonet for their
No. 14 chair. File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Indonesiërs maken meubelstukken van rotan Zuid-Celebes TMnr 10011484.jpg|
Indonesians making rattan furniture, File:Rattan chair.jpg|A rattan chair File:Rattan sepak tawraw ball.png|A rattan ball of
Sepak takraw File:USAID Measuring Impact Conservation Enterprise Retrospective (Philippines; Nagkakaisang Tribu ng Palawan) (25421842347).jpg|Craftsman in the
Philippines heat bending rattan for furniture-making File:Cane Furniture Maker, Kwara State, Nigeria.jpg|Craftsman weaving a basket made from split rattan in
Nigeria File:Rottingkorg - Rattan Basket - Sweden-2023.jpg |A
basket made of rattan File:Bawod Chair.jpg|Bawod ("Wave") rattan chair by
Filipino industrial designer
Kenneth Cobonpue, a modern design using traditional
Cebuano basket-weaving techniques
Clothing Traditionally, the women of the
Wemale ethnic group of
Seram Island, Indonesia wore rattan
girdles around their waist.
Corporal punishment Thin rattan canes were the standard implement for
school corporal punishment in England and Wales, and are still used for this purpose in schools in Malaysia, Singapore, and several African countries. Similar canes are used for military punishments in the
Singapore Armed Forces. Heavier canes, also of rattan, are used for
judicial corporal punishments in
Aceh,
Brunei,
Malaysia, and
Singapore.
Wicks Rattan is the preferred natural material used to wick
essential oils in aroma reed diffusers (commonly used in
aromatherapy, or merely to scent closets, passageways, and rooms), because each rattan reed contains 20 or more permeable channels that
wick the oil from the container up the stem and release fragrance into the air, through an evaporation diffusion process. In contrast, reeds made from bamboo contain nodes that inhibit the passage of essential oils.
Shelter material Most natives or locals from the rattan rich countries employ the aid of this sturdy plant in their home building projects. It is heavily used as a housing material in rural areas. The skin of the plant or wood is primarily used for
weaving.
Tools and equipment Due to its durability and resistance to splintering, sections of rattan can be used as
canes, crooks for high-end
umbrellas, or
staves for
martial arts. Rattan sticks long, called
baston, are used in
Filipino martial arts, especially
Arnis/Eskrima/Kali and for the striking weapons in the
Society for Creative Anachronism's
full-contact "
armoured combat". Rattan cane is also used traditionally to make
polo mallets, though only a small portion of cane harvested (roughly 3%) is strong, flexible, and durable enough to be made into sticks for polo mallets, and popularity of rattan mallets is waning next the more modern variant, fibrecanes. Along with
birch and bamboo, rattan is a common material used for the handles in percussion mallets, especially mallets for
keyboard percussion,
e.g.,
marimba,
vibraphone,
xylophone, etc.
Weaponry '' spears from the
Philippines on the
hilt of a
Visayan sword from the
Philippines, Fire-hardened rattan were commonly used as the shafts of Philippine
spears collectively known as
sibat. They were fitted with a variety of iron spearheads and ranged from short throwing versions to heavy thrusting weapons. They were used for hunting, fishing, or warfare (both land and naval warfare). The rattan shafts of war spears are usually elaborately ornamented with carvings and metal inlays.
Arnis also makes prominent use of rattan as "arnis sticks", commonly called
yantok or
baston. Their durability and weight makes it ideal for training with complex execution of techniques as well as being a choice of weapon, even against bladed objects. Round shields known as
taming from various ethnic groups in the
Philippines and parts of
Borneo can also be made from tightly-woven rattan.
Rattan shields were historically used in ancient, medieval and early modern China and Korea. According to some contemporary sources, they were reasonably effective against both arrows and early firearms. It sees also prominent use in battle re-enactments as stand-ins to potentially lethal weapons. Rattan can also be used to build a functional sword that delivers a non-lethal but similar impact compared to steel counterparts. ==See also==