Rattan cane is a natural material. It take great effort to make natural rattan cane products uniform to be suitable for mass production of furniture.
Through out the decades, many people have come up with artificial material to imitate natural rattan cane products, but with limited success only. Artificial material like paper and plastic can be mass produced with uniformity (uniform texture, uniform color, uniform shape and size). In general they cost less but not always economical to use. The uniformity is an advantage in mass production, but is also an disadvantage for their unnatural appearance and low value identity.
The advantage of plastic cane is that it is water resistant which is quite suitable for outdoor furniture.
The disadvantage with plastic is that it would melt and become deformed under heat. Also the plastic cane may stretch (elongated) under constant tension (of sitting). Coloring of plastic has to be put into raw material, and not good for painting.
Paper cane webbing is thin, light and easy to color and easy to use. It is often use in decorative panels. However paper are not very durable, as it can be damaged by water an humidity, and it can wrinkle after repeated use.
Plastic cane and plastic cane webbing cost least among all cane webbings at this time.
Their product codes start with alphabets "PSC" such as PSC109a and PVC206. (the counter part of PVC109 and PVC206 in natural cane is LHM109 and L206 for having the same weaving spattern and specification.)
Plastic chair-cane are also available only in popular size (2.3mm). Color diffen from the biegecan be provided only orderedin a relative substantial quantity.
"Plastic rattan core" is available too, but the local y made plastic Rattan core are plastic tubes, Some are star shape with spike groove tubes, some are solid. Over all they not close immitation to rattan core. Good immitation plastic rattan core in bulk quanitty is available, but their costs can beor more than the natural rattan core material.It is out door furniture.
Paper cane (paper chaircane rattan peel), and paper cane webbing, in general cost less than natural cane webbing, but not always. Their product codes start with "PPN", such as PPN109 and PPN206 for having the same weaving pattern as their natural cane counter part. Some paper cane webbing can be supplied with strengthening fibre threads folded inside the paper yarn.
Paper rush (paper straw cord) is common substitutional material for making rush seats. It is available in the common size 3-5mm diameter.
Thin paper cord are made into a so called imitation reed webbing.
There are two kinds of "Paper Cord Webbing" available.
PCW-N is close woven webbing woven with 2mm solid paper cord (no metal wire), that has a maximum size of width 40''(inches) x 50'(feet) [102 x 1520 mm].
PCW-W is close woven webbing woven with 2mm paper cord that has a metal wire core in the warp strands. It can be made in maximal width of 39''(inches) x 50'(feet) [991 x 1520mm]. This is a very stiff and strong material that work like a natural looking woven panel. Production of this item is still in a development stage, but small quantity is available.
