Experts Take You to the Show
Mahogany furniture is highly valuable—how to identify and choose it, and find cost-effective options
Look at the "hard indicators" and pay attention to the details.
Experts Count the Mahogany Furniture "Purchase"
In recent years, mahogany furniture that combines practicality with collectibility has become a dream for many. Every year, during the public opening day of the China-ASEAN Expo, numerous people come to buy their favorite pieces of mahogany furniture. But in such a short time, how can you effectively identify and select quality furniture that offers good value? On September 16th, experts from the Guangxi Redwood Furniture Association and reporters visited the exhibition hall to explore how to make smart purchases of mahogany furniture.
Check the Materials and Craftsmanship
Mahogany furniture doesn’t refer to a specific type of wood, but rather a general term for rare hardwood furniture dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. The materials and craftsmanship are key “hard indicators†when evaluating the quality of mahogany furniture. In the afternoon, Professor Xu Feng, chief consultant of the Guangxi Redwood Furniture Association, toured the exhibition hall and noticed that this year’s East Fair was dominated by red rosewood and rosewood pieces. He remarked that the overall quality of mahogany furniture was above average.
Xu Feng explained that Southeast Asian countries have long been the main producers of redwoods. Vietnamese, Lao, and Myanmar redwoods are particularly well-known, with similar quality levels. Currently, the price of red rosewood logs stands at about 35,000 yuan per ton, while rosewood fluctuates between 20,000 and 25,000 yuan per ton.
Consumers should consider both the materials and craftsmanship when choosing mahogany furniture. Xu Feng noted that raw red rosewood has a distinct sour smell, but this scent disappears once the furniture is finished. The color of red rosewood is reddish, with clear grain patterns visible when viewed from different angles. Its longitudinal sections are finer and denser compared to rosewood, which tends to be more yellowish and has a coarser texture with lower density.
Additionally, the craftsmanship of mahogany furniture is typically divided into two types: hand-carved and machine-carved. If the design is the same, hand-carved pieces are usually significantly more expensive, often 1 to 3 times or even more than machine-made ones. However, if the carving is complex, sometimes machine-made versions can be pricier due to the level of detail required.
Second, Check Thickness and Other Details
How can you choose mahogany furniture that offers better value for money? On the same day, Xu Feng used an example of a set of 10 rosewood sofas displayed in Hall 14, priced at 140,000 yuan.
Xu Feng carefully examined the furniture and thought the price was slightly high. Normally, producing 10 such sets would require about 1.5 tons of logs, costing nearly 40,000 yuan. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the color on the left and right ends of the wood was darker than the top and bottom parts, resulting in an unbalanced appearance. Additionally, the coffee table and sofa panels were made from three separate pieces of wood instead of a single board.
Xu Feng advised buyers to pay attention to the “legs and feet†of the furniture. If the style is similar, legs with a diameter of 8 cm should be less than those with a diameter of 12 cm by about one-third. The thickness of the furniture panels can also indicate the quality of the materials used. Typically, the tabletops of coffee tables and chairs should be at least 1.5 cm thick, but some are only 1–1.2 cm thick. The way the materials are used also affects the price—for instance, a tabletop made from three pieces of wood will always be cheaper than one made from a single whole piece.
If in Doubt, Send It for Inspection
Xu Feng mentioned that since February 1, 2013, China has implemented the new "General Technical Conditions for Redwood Furniture," requiring all products to be sold with "One Book, One Card, One Certificate"—that is, a product manual, a quality express card, and a product certification. At the East Expo, if you purchase mahogany furniture from domestic companies or merchants, you can ask them to provide these documents. Xu Feng advised consumers to confirm the species of wood before making a payment, and if there are issues, they can return the item and refer to the receipt provided.
If you have doubts about your purchase, Xu Feng said that Guangxi has several testing agencies, such as the Guangxi University Forest Products Quality Testing Center and the Guangxi Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Institute, which can issue legally binding wood species identification certificates. After inspection, results are usually available within 7 working days, and the cost for inspecting a single set of furniture is around 1,100 yuan.
Related Reading: How to Decorate Your Home with Mahogany Furniture
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