Discussion Forums (beta)
Our discussion board is a great way to get extra help from successful people throughout the Furniture Training Company membership. Store owners, training managers, and sales people have more success as they get new ideas from other FTC members.
Our discussion board is a cutting-edge tool that allows you to post a comment or question online and receive responses from other people who are also members of the same discussion.
What woods are used in Chinese built casegoods?
Mark55 asked Category: Main
We have all learned to talk to customers about familiar American woods and wood veneers like maple, oak, mahogany, etc when we're selling casegood such as dining tables, dressers, hutches, etc. But, with so much wood furniture now being made in China, are there some new woods we should learn about from that region? If so, what are they? What are there properties?
Responses
roma54 replied
I am still learning about different woods,again I know they do use oak,maple ,lot of the furniture do have veeners in the wood,we have more soild hard wood then particle board,most of the bedroom group has corner block,metal gliders which give the drawers better support,customer really look for dovetails on the drawers,which is very important..
jhays replied
I think the best answer to this excellent question is that your manufacturers should be able to give you this information. From China we're getting a lot of elm, especially in the antique or reproduction pieces. From India the predominant wood seems to be Sheesham, sometimes called Indian Rosewood (it's not at all like Brazilian Rosewood, which is hard to come by because it's mostly not sustainably harvested). Other woods include eucalyptus or balau or Kapur; these are most often found in outdoor furniture. Much of the wood furniture made by American companies in Asia is actually shipped there from North America, such as oak, ash, walnut, alder, even cherry. The downside of this is the carbon footprint, as the wood crosses the ocean twice, consuming carbon fuels both directions. Merbau is often used in darker furniture, as it's a tight grained wood that takes stain well. There are many others. Ask your suppliers.
MKEEGAN27 replied
it really all depends on the manuf. usually all furniture has the veneer top that is real wood but on 1/4 inch thick. the rest of the pcs could be man made composites also called furniture board. basically compressed cadboard that stays shape reguardless of temp. you can use it to your advantage to tell customers that they dont' have to worry about draws geting stuck because the way its made the product does expand nd contract due to temp. then of course most are made of particle board,, and plywood.
Subscription
Your subscription to The Furniture Training Company Website gives you anytime access to the
furniture industry's most comprehensive, innovative, and effective sales training. 9 out of 10 customers report
increased sales because of the training.