Post #249836 by Tikiwahine on Sat, Aug 19, 2006 12:59 PM

But bamboo looks soo much cooler. Plus you can grow it almost anywhere, lending a tropical look to your very own backyard.

The above statement also describes the way you tell the difference between a bamboo piece and a rattan piece. Bamboo cannot be bent, it will always be straight(unless grown curved).

I still think bamboo makes a tiki room, not rattan. Though I wouldn't hesitate to use a sweet vintage rattan bar and stools. I'd have to offset it with even more big, thick, glorious bamboo.

The fact that it's hollow might make it easy to work with, you can cut notches into it to fit around edges, and it's sometimes thick diameter gives a bold statement. Maybe it's easier & less expensive for the average homeowner to work with? Do we have a 'Rattan Randy' in our ranks?

So as you can see, I'm sort of on the (bamboo)fence about the whole thing. Rattan is good for curves, but to me it's pretty boring. Give me hollow with nodes, cracks and all, any day.