Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at 2:08PM
Pretty simple actually. Carefully heat the cane with a blow torch. And then bend it with a metal jig while it is still hot. Repeat until cane attains desired curvature. The cane will maintain this shape after it is cool. [NOTE: Video clip from rattan factory at Veal Rinh commune in Laos (see Rattan Splitter).
Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at 9:10AM 
Pile of rattan cane laying outside of the little rattan factory at Veal Rinh commune in Preah Sihanouk province, Cambodia (see Rattan Splitter). I think the cane is Calamus viminalis Willd., or "phdau krek" (see Field Herbarium). [NOTE: I am very ready to go back to Cambodia and continue the rattan work. Am also curious about the status of my Fulbright application to teach in Phnom Penh next year].
Calamus viminalis, Cambodia, Rattan, Veal Rinh commune in Science | Share Article | Email Article | Print Article Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at 5:05AM N10°43.074'
E103°48.755'
On the way back from Kampot we stopped at a small rattan factory in the village of Veal Rinh. Really great place, and the factory buys raw material from several of the communities that I am working with. I was especially taken by the rattan splitting machine. Noisy, smoky, and a bit clunky, but it's a beatiful piece of equipment and it certainly does the job. [NOTE: You can download a high resolution image of this noble machine here. Lovely background for the desktop].