Most individuals associate the word “handmade” with “high quality” as we’ve come to respect items that still have a human’s touch in the manufacturing process. Ironically, this is generally the opposite when it comes to teak furniture, and pieces that are handmade are generally of a lower quality that those that are made with the use of machines.

Making a piece of furniture by hand is a painstaking process that is nearly impossible to replicate exactly each time. As most teak furniture is sold in sets, having four or six handmade chairs means having a set of chairs that are different in many ways. Modern furniture is designed with precise dimensions in mind, and without the use of machines producing furniture to these exacting standards is very difficult.

Experienced carvers will obtain raw pieces of teak from local sellers, and turn this teak in to chairs, tables, benches and other furniture. These carvers will work using hand saws, planes and other tools to manipulate and shape the raw teak in to the various pieces that form the finished product. Once the carving, sanding and finishing is complete, the teak furniture will be left outside to dry. Teak unfortunately does not dry well in humid conditions such as those found in Southeast Asia, which is another reason that handmade teak furniture pieces are of a lower quality than machine-made pieces, which would be dried in a kiln.

The next process is finishing. Finishing is the last process layering wood surface with purpose to make beautiful and also protect furniture from insect attach or moisture air.