Sustainability and manufacturing
Material
Mahogany, Leather & Rattan
Wood is renewable, reusable and bio- degradable. Svenskt Tenn has worked with wood since the 1930s and the material is also one of the most dominant in the company’s production today. But for wood to be a really good material from an environmental point of view, it should come from responsibly managed forests.
All of Svenskt Tenn’s furniture suppliers and their wood suppliers are subject to the EU’s Timber Regulation, which has strict rules for the wood trade. This is to deal with the global problem of illegal logging and to counter trafficking in illegal timber and wooden goods within the EU.
This is how Chair 1179 is made
The frame for Chair 1179 is manufactured in mahogany at Gärsnäs, at the family-owned factory in Österlen that has been making furniture since 1893.
The shape of the chair is as complex as its production. The back parts rise from the seat in a square to circular format, from wide to narrow and with advanced shifts in angle, something that makes the work both challenging and time-consuming. Once the parts of the chair are joined together, the seat of natural tanned leather from Tärnsjö is nailed to the frame by hand. The chair is then sent to Larsson Korgmakare (Larsson Basketmakers) in Stockholm, where the back of the chair is crafted.
Larsson Korgmakare is Sweden’s only manufacturer of rattan furniture. The workshop is located next to Skeppsbron, about three kilometres from the store on Strandvägen 5, and this is where all of Svenskt Tenn’s rattan furniture is made.
Once the back of Chair 1179 is to be built, the process of finding suitable rattan poles begins and they are cut to the right length. Then each pole is positioned to be as straight as possible. After that, the furniture template is reviewed to determine where the first bend should be. The rattan is then fastened with a vice before being heated with a flame. The heat makes the material soft and pliable so it can be bent by hand and shaped with the help of a bending iron. Once the rattan is formed it is cooled down with water to lock in the fibres. Long strips, made from the bark or sheath of the rattan, are moistened and wrapped around the joints.
Sustainability in focus
Read more about Svenskt Tenn's Sustainability Philosophy below.