subject: Wicker Sale | Wicker Baskets For Sale | Wickerchina.com [print this page] Wicker Sale from wickerchina.com Now! Wicker is a generic term used to describe any product that is made by weaving together stems or vines. The word itself has Scandinavian origins, there is a discussion whether it was swedish furniture, or norwegian roots, but the use of woven vines to make furniture dates back as far as the days of Egyptian pharaohs. For centuries, willow was the preferred type of vine for making wicker products, such as wicker baskets.
Wicker Sale from wickerchina.com Now! For the last 150 years or so, high quality wicker products made in the United States have been made with vines from the Rattan plant. This plant grows only in the rainforest areas of South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. The most highly prized and durable rattan vine is the honey rattan from Southeast Asia.
Wicker Sale from wickerchina.com Now! Also wicker is hard woven fiber formed into a rigid material, usually used for baskets or furniture. Wicker is often made of material of plant origin, but plastic fibers are also used.
Wicker Sale from wickerchina.com Now! Materials used can be any part of a plant, such as the cores of cane of rattan stalks, or whole thicknesses of plants, as with willow switches. Other popular materials include reed and bamboo.
Wicker Sale from wickerchina.com Now! Often a frame is made of stiffer materials, after which more pliant material is used to fill in the frame. Wicker is light yet sturdy, making it suitable for furniture that will be moved often. It is often used for porch and patio furniture.
Wicker Sale from wickerchina.com Now! There are two types of wicker furniture availablenatural and synthetic. Natural wicker is made from rattan vine and is well-known for its strength and durability. Natural wicker is unsurpassed for beauty and comfort, although it requires maintenance to keep it in good shape. Synthetic types include paper-wrapped high tensile wire (using the Lloyd Loom process patented in the early 1900s), and plastic or resin (often preferred for outdoor use).
