Why Is There A Big Price Gap for Teak Furniture And What Are The Differences in The Origin of Teak

If you go to a furniture market and observe, you will find that the prices of furniture made of the same type of wood often vary greatly. For instance, a set of teak living room furniture is sold for over 10,000 yuan here, but it can be sold for over 30,000 yuan elsewhere. Besides the factors of craftsmanship and brand, there is also the difference in the quality of teak itself. Of course, the person selling teak furniture for over 10,000 yuan won't tell you about this. You need to know the ropes yourself!

There are not many types of teak available on the market at present. They can be classified by origin into African teak, South American teak, Indonesian teak, Burmese teak and Thai teak. Among them, African teak is not a true teak tree species; it is just a name given by domestic wood merchants. South American teak, on the other hand, was later transplanted by Europeans and is mostly planted in artificial forests. The trees are not very old and the quality is average. 

At present, Thailand and Myanmar are the best teak production areas. Thailand banned teak exports 20 years ago, so the best teak available on the market now is from Myanmar. Even for teak from the same Myanmar production area, there are many differences in the market, such as those from artificially planted forests, different production areas, and differences in branches and trunks. These differences can affect the quality of teak and even its price. Therefore, when purchasing teak, one should not blindly compare prices but rather consider the cost-effectiveness of the wood.

There is a significant quality difference between teak from natural forests and that from artificial forests. Teak trees in artificial forests mainly grow rapidly through artificial techniques, shortening their growth cycle. Generally, they can mature in about ten years, and thinning begins in the sixth year of planting. Due to the differences in the environment, climate, soil and other factors in which artificial teak trees grow, their growth cycle is greatly shortened. 

The unique characteristics of teak, such as poor oiliness and no or very indistinct mineral lines, have a large shrinkage rate, are prone to deformation and are not resistant to corrosion. The wood fibers are coarse, with poor density and hardness, so its stability and toughness are greatly reduced, and it almost has no teak fragrance. Teak from natural forests takes at least 50 years to grow into mature wood. It has a slow growth period, high density and hardness. After being made into finished products, its performance is stable and it is not easily corroded or infested by insects. It is an ideal material for making high-end furniture.