People know teak as the most superior wood variety in the world. However, there is actually another type of wood that has good quality, named agarwood or gaharu wood. Gaharu wood is in great demand as a basic material for furniture and a number of other products. If you already have adequate budget preparation, you can choose furniture made of agarwood material to enhance your home. Well, let’s identify the characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of agarwood before making a choice of furniture as needed.

When compared to other woods, gaharu wood has the following characteristics:

• Gaharu trees have natural habitats in Kalimantan, Sumatra, Papua, and NTT
• Agarwood that grows naturally in the wild can reach 35 to 40 meters height with up to 60 cm diameter
• The middle part of the gaharu tree that at least 25 years old produces a unique resin derived from the bacteria Fusarium sp
• The resin makes agarwood give off a distinctive aroma which is often used as a natural fragrance
• The resin on the agarwood tree is marked with black spotting in the middle of the wood
• Currently, many gaharu farmers start injecting the bacteria since the agarwood is at least 5 years old so that the resin formation process takes place more quickly
• The selling value of agarwood will be higher if the resin texture is denser. The highest grade of agarwood is known as super king and priced hundreds of millions of rupiah
• Gaharu wood native to Indonesia is a high-value commodity which is exported to a number of countries such as Singapore, Yemen, Oman, China, Saudi Arabia and Japan

Some of the advantages of agarwood as a basic material for furniture that are not found in other woods are:

• Gaharu wood has a heavy weight and hard texture so that it can produce durable furniture
• The unique appearance of the wood fibers makes the furniture look attractive and seem luxurious
• The character of agarwood which is resistant to weather changes makes its durability stronger than furniture made of other woods
• The distinctive aroma produced by agarwood makes it resistant to attack by termites and other pests

In addition to having many advantages, agarwood also has several disadvantages, including:

• The price is very expensive. It is reportedly, one kilogram of agarwood is priced in tens of millions. This also makes agarwood furniture quite rare.
• The natural growth process of agarwood is very long, it can reach 25 years. Due to the long process of growth, the price has skyrocketed and the stock is very scarce.
• Farmers are trying to cultivate agarwood trees in order to stabilize the supply of wood.
• Furniture made from agarwood has a heavy weight so it is a bit difficult to move.

Besides used as furniture material, agarwood is also used to make several products such as:

• Accessories of bracelets, necklaces, pendants, to prayer beads.
• Door and window frames.
• Herbal medicine ingredients to treat constipation, bloating, diarrhea, shortness of breath, and others.
• One of the basic ingredients of cosmetics and shampoo which also functions as a natural aroma enhancer.
• Complementary cultural rituals. Gaharu wood will be burned to produce a distinctive aroma that completes the atmosphere of traditional rituals.
• Natural preservatives containing antimicrobial and antitoxin.

The interior of your home will be more complete if it is equipped with quality furniture. Take your time to hunt for quality furniture that looks attractive as well as durable.

–sh