Two woods, two jobs. Teak root gives you pieces that exist once. Suar gives you the same table forty times. This page is the reference importers ask for before they write an order: what each wood is, how it behaves, which finishes we apply, which bases we use, and what drives the price up.
Teak root (Tectona grandis, below-ground root mass)
Teak root furniture is made from the root mass left after the trunk is harvested. The root is a single, irregular piece of dense hardwood: no two roots share the same silhouette, so no two tables do either. That is the product, not a defect.
- Behaviour: dense and heavy, with interlocking grain. Sanded and finished by hand because no two surfaces machine the same way.
- Shapes: organic silhouettes and hollows the sawmill cannot produce.
- Limits: sizes follow the root. A repeat order matches character, not dimensions — matched pair, not identical twin.
- Typical range: coffee tables 0.26–0.65 CBM (FOB USD 90–138), dining tables 0.48–2.43 CBM (FOB USD 100–650), consoles around 0.36 CBM (FOB USD 85–215), side tables around 0.16 CBM (FOB USD 28–78).
If a project needs forty identical dining tables, teak root is the wrong specification and we say so. That is a suar order.
Suar wood (Samanea saman, known locally as trembesi)
Suar is a fast-growing shade tree with a wide trunk and interlocking grain, grown across Java. It is not teak and not teak root, although the export trade often sells both as "Indonesian hardwood". Suar takes a wide, stable slab, machines to consistent dimensions, and therefore carries the parts of a collection that must repeat: dining tops, stools, planters.
- Round dining tables: 100 cm 0.75 CBM (FOB USD 195), 120 cm 1.08 CBM (USD 265), 150 cm 1.80 CBM (USD 340).
- Stools: USD 38–55 at about 0.05 CBM each — the item that fills gaps in a load plan.
- Planters: USD 20–38 at 0.04–0.13 CBM.
- Behaviour: moves while it dries, so boards are kiln-dried before machining. Colour varies board to board; a single uniform colour has to be agreed up front and costs more because it means selecting boards.
Teak root against suar: the short version
| Question | Teak root | Suar |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Statement tables, consoles, one-off accents | Matched dining sets, stools, planters, contract volumes |
| Repeatability | Every piece differs by nature | Same model, same size, next order |
| Sizes | Driven by the root, usually 90–200 cm | Round 100–150 cm, rectangular on request |
| Container logic | Volume through coffee and side tables | Volume through stools and planters |
Finishes
Finish is agreed on a physical sample before production, and the approved sample stays on file so the next order matches.
- Natural matte: closed-pore, low sheen. The default for interiors; keeps the grain readable.
- Penetrating oil: soaks into the fibre rather than sitting on it. Suits covered outdoor use and is re-oiled once a year.
- Deeper brown stain: pulls the colour toward dark walnut tones. Widely specified for hotel lobbies where a warmer floor tone is wanted.
- Glass tops: 10–12 mm tempered glass over a root base, for coffee and dining tables where the surface must be perfectly flat.
Bases
- Steel base, matte black: the standard for suar dining tops. Welded, then powder-coated.
- Stainless steel base: for coastal projects and restaurant floors where rust staining is unacceptable.
- Root pedestal: the teak root itself carries the top; no separate base, and the piece ships as one unit.
What moves the FOB price
- Diameter and thickness of the top — the single biggest factor, because it drives both material and CBM.
- Root complexity — a heavily hollowed root takes more hours of hand sanding than a solid one.
- Glass — adds cost and packing weight, and needs its own crate.
- Base material — stainless steel costs more than powder-coated steel.
- Finish selection — a uniform colour across a run means selecting boards, which costs more than a natural mix.
How to specify an order
Send four things and the quotation comes back the same day: the model or a photo, the size, the quantity per model, and the destination port. If the style is still open, send a photo of the room instead — the specification follows from the space.
Mixed models in one 20-foot container are welcome; the minimum is one container, and a first order runs about 12 weeks in production.
Related pages: Furniture range with FOB prices · Price guide, 210 models · Care and maintenance · Suar wood vs teak, for importers · Size and dimension chart
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