Wooden furniture maker in Jepara mostly are tailoring company

O'nei wrote:

Passing 20 years long in exporting 'Antique-Reproduction wooden Furniture', most of  furniture-companies in Java island of Indonesia are doing as the Tailor-companies.
Not many from them are developing their own selection to copy antique furniture as reproduction pieces. They are too passive in initiative of developing a collection to be a trend-setter in to its Market.

Not more than in a counting of 10 companies which are having a full set range of one style of Replica-Antique's furniture and consistently producing it as their main bases(Anchor).
Nevertheless, it must be 'a foreigner involving' behind those few of existing ones.

So, if there is a query of: Where to buy a settee of "Louis XVI" french style furniture range in Jepara or Java or Indonesia ? It would be an ambiguities response to answer this firmly.
Some company may have the Louis Bed and bedside, but not for Dresser.
Some others have the Console or Desk but not the Vitrine. whilst the other one got with them for Louis Dining Tables and chair but not for the Chiffonier or Sideboard. etc.
The answer is a Blues song, it is merely not possible to find it in Jepara-town, very ironic but it is the fact, despite of as a center of Antique-reproduction mahogany furniture, this town is suppose to provide the settee of a replica style collection. But it was not there!

In fact, they are more than enough in resource and ability to do this, whereas the Wood supply, Carving's artisan, Craftsmen and Capital are almost there, all are with them.
However, the pass 20 years period is still not enough to deliver Jepara's Furniture or Indonesian furniture society to do the Establishment.

This condition may come from:
1. The generator of  European reproduction furniture in Jepara are the Westerner(ex pat). so actually
    not by Jepara's-origin or Indonesian.
    Meaning that: the style or design to make are base on those ex pat.
2. Same as the design for the items, the marketing are also developed an penetrated by these foreigner or
    buyer with local partners. It may not come from Indonesian or Jepara's, though they are aggressive in
    selling and promotion via website, blogs and portals. some of them by exhibition too. but in fact, they
    only know a very little about Furniture's Market and or Marketing of wooden furniture for export.
3. Low motivation, in investing to make a selection of any style for their own product's bases. i.e: making
    samples, taking good photos, display in a showroom and download in web to update, etc.
    For them to copy-paste from other's sample and catalog or Website/Blog are most preferably.
4. No effort of build the branding name or products of Indonesian Furniture. Always depend on the
    buyer's request as OEM and or custom design order.

Practically, they are more doing an offering service rather than selling the products, as they are only making it against the order which may come.
They are not more than just a " tailor-compay".

Reproduction furniture are Handmade stuff.

O'nei writing:
Need to emphasize that: the antique reproduction furniture of Jepara-town are handmade stuff with hand tools ! Not more than 2 digits figure that are made by semi machine process. As for the Integrated manufacturing ones, no more than 30 units which are still running and or survives.
Merely 85% of the raw furniture(Ina=Mentahan) are made by villagers as a home made woodworking, so called as craftsmen(Ina=pengrajin) and a part of it are made in the workshop of private owned, doing the small scale industries that hiring few woodworkers(=tukang kayu) and carvers(=pengukir) to make the un-finished furniture. so called as little boss(=Juragan).
About 10% are the trader or broker that ordering and or bought the raw wood furniture from both, as said above (craftsmen and small Industries). It is so called as Suppliers. They are doing: sortiments, re-built, sanding etc. Mainly are to make-up or enhancing the raw furniture in all the way before it will go to exporter warehouse to be accepted or inspection pass. Particularly their involves are in financing to the sub-con and craftsmen, it is for buying the wood and weekly wages of the woodworkers.
Whilst, the rest of 4% are the warehouse, those are the exporters in Jepara-town, which are doing mostly: finishing & upholsteries. but even so the finishing & upholstry job is mostly been sub contracted to the local subcon. They get the raws or white pieces from either one of the 3 aboves.

Last but not the least, only no more 1% are the integrated furniture makers, starting from the lumbers, sawn and cutting, drying, assembling, turning & carving, assembling/bulit, sanding & painting, upholstry, hardware & acessories, packaging and delivery/shipping.
Eventually among those 1% manufacturer only 0,1% are fully self producing, in fact they will also ordering the raw furniture from the local suppliers & home industries. They prefer to do as like others exporters did. Unless they get a very high price to do the integrated production of wood furniture manufacturing.

Therefore, stop dreaming of Full manufacturing machine made for reproduction furniture from Jepara town. It is extra ordinary and limited.

Reading digest: if you have interest to know it more, click on this link

ATLAS OF WOODEN FURNITURE INDUSTRY IN JEPARA, INDONESIA

or either one of the same report as below:
http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/5873/
http://ideas.repec.org/b/epf/ecbook/9.html
http://hal.cirad.fr/cirad-00193546/en/

Deffects in Wooden Antique-Reproduction Furniture

O'nei writing:

What are the most enemy and major defects issues for Mahogany antique reproduction furniture from Jepara?
1. Termites and bugs,
the very small creature that will turn the piece into powder.The usage of young age wood under 25 cm in diameter, especially Sapwood will be the target of it. A few ways of treatment must be taken to prevent it. (by chemical toxic, dreep or boil in water, etc)
2. Moisture-Content(MC) of wood and humidity effect.
Not sufficient drying process for the fresh cut wood planks will create the serious damage on to the furniture(cracking, splitting, bending, twisting, shrinking etc).
Purposeful intention to drying the wood by Air Dried alias Sun bake instead of using Kiln Dry/Kiln booth, in attempting for a gain in cost saving.
In some case, the wood are baked in small container/cabin by firewood in several days: 2 up to 5 days, whereas it should be in 3 to 4 weeks, normally.
3. Improper Structure,
Poor or improper way of Technical Woodworking in jointing the
structure of the unit. which are most of the cases are caused by short cut the woodworking process by gluing it, to reduce time consumption and cost saving.

read more at posting:
Reproduction furniture Clues

Good to read

• 'mushrooms ate my furniture' by shinwei rhoda yen (designboom.com)

Reproduction furniture in Clues

Buying reproduction-furniture in Jepara town there are 3 things among the clues that must be cleared up

1. What quality and technical-specification details, as no standard been applied for it
2. Whom you deal with, reliability and credibility, a matter of Trust.
3. How the Legal aspects are i.e: export license, payment security, sales-contract

Products: the very basic and important to confirm are

Wood:
Mostly are using Mahogany wood and a few of Mindi, Agathis, Dagmar, Teak
Top issues are:

1. -MC=moisture content, is it wet or dry enough to use.
2. -Age of tree, it is 30 cm diameter Up or Below.
3. -Sap wood, knot and core or heart, assortment
4. -Termite and bugs, the treatment and prevention.

Structure:
Awareness of 4 climate environment which need workmanship performances,

between the 2 path-way of "wood working craftsmanship" against "Nail and Glue", especially in using fresh-cut wood for "full wood furniture.
Critical issues are:

1. Jointing of each pieces wood and components. Also the assembling of intersection.
2. Space allowance for wide boards for adapting the wood movements
3. Implementation of T&G, Bird dove, wooden clutches, finger-joint, support, stretcher reinforce and wooden-corner etc.

In order to perform

• -Top table not crack, splitting, bending etc
• -Drawer, running smooth and stopper.
• -Doors, not twisting, bending and crack.
• -Side and back of case not splitting, cracking
• -Seating units, sturdiness and weight support for safety.

Hardware accessories,
if not by request mostly are using cheap metal product.
Common Cases: rusty screw, broken hinges, loosen knob etc.

Upholstery,
very rare to find good fabrics and foam in town, the local materials are not fire retarder(anti flame), actually it is available at big cities and import ones.
As for leather, generally in local market are low quality brand ones, the high quality one(tannin, non split, chrome, full grain, elastic, good color) is available from other cities.
Tips:
The foam(sponge) for seat should be minimum DS 30% dense and elastic, otherwise it will get flat after awhile. In local market are available with range of density between 16 to 24 %.

Carving,
the skill of hand-carving for reproduction antique is delicate works, the cost will be nearly a half of the raw-stuff cost.

1. the master level(Artisan) with 3 dimensional deep carving and the style or character.
2. the 2 dimension-carving, works with averages or moderate.
3. the common one are the so so looks like or just-carving, which is far from similarity to any character or style. The last one is not replica antique it is just the re production that been carved with any motifs. Among the craftsmen it is so call as Semarang-an=Sembarangan carving style=improper motif. Meaning that to carving it with any style, just some carvings on it.

Finishing,

the last but very important factor is finishing process, starting with the fine sanding, wood stain and the top coating. there are so many details to describe about finishing i.e.: the materials, the process, the luster or reflection effect etc. so variously.

Tips:

1. Fine sanded, Smooth and Clean is the most determinant factor.
2. either one, the less maintenance and durable is the choice.
3. It could be in dark and deep color but the wood lines and grain is remain visible, at least
4. whilst the luster of Clear-gloss and or Matt-doff is relatively preferential.

Salad de Articles

• What Product Design Problems Do You Want Solved? (apartmenttherapy.com)
• Best deals of the day: furniture (telegraph.co.uk)
• Compact Design for Cozy Quarters: Seating Trays by Tanya Aguiñiga (craftzine.com)