You probably read the title and are now thinking, “Well, duh, it’s pretty obvious that bentwood is just bent wood.” True enough. However, think about if for just a second. Before seeing bentwood was somewhat commonplace, the concept of bending wood is about as logical as a flying car. Only the adventurous could envision it.
For some though, bentwood is a new approach to furniture construction.
Due to it’s unnatural appearance, there is a tendency for many to believe that the material they see on furniture stores or even in their own home is not actually wood. While it’s impossible to vouch for what you saw without inspecting it, a lot of time it is real wood.
“Well, how is wood bent in the first place?” Glad you asked. Wood can be bent by heating it directly, through the use of a hot plate, boiling it and steaming it. The most common is the process of steaming the wood until it is pliable and then forcing it to bend into certain forms with braces, molds, etc. and then left to dry and set. It places less pressure on the wood.
As you could imagine, thinner pieces bend a bit easier than thicker ones. However, the structural integrity smaller pieces of bent wood is not as strong as in its original, thicker form. To offset this effect and replenish the strength, bent pieces of wood are often laminated together.
The Bentwood Rocker Chair by FY Lifestyle is an example of how bentwood can be more than just something interesting to look at. The form of the wood creates an ergonomic line that forms to your back while the curved legs allows the chair to gently rock back-and-forth. The combination of which can provide hours of much needed rest and relaxation.
So, if you’re looking to stretch out a bit, don’t be so stiff and just go with the flow.