Totally Bamboo from Van Raalte & Co. Inc.

The Bamboo Story

Several years ago, in a nook in the "NoHo" Arts District of North Hollywood, California, Tom Sullivan & Joanne Chen owned and operated a small design and manufacturing studio, focusing on luxury customized director chairs for the movie industry. In their quest for a lighter chair, they experimented with bamboo, long known for its strength vs. weight ratio. The resulting chair was not only lighter but much stronger than the oak they had previously used.

Intrigued with using such a renewable, ecologically friendly material they set out to design various house ware products using their "engineered bamboo" and in doing so, developed the world's first bamboo cutting board. Bamboo, they discovered, is 16% harder than maple, making it perfect for a cutting surface.

Shortly afterwards, Totally Bamboo was born, launching as the premiere manufacturer for bamboo house ware products. From cutting boards to salad bowls and plates, Totally Bamboo plans to change the way the world uses bamboo, as a viable alternative to our precious hardwood trees.

Bamboo is actually a grass that grows to a harvestable height of 60 feet in about three to five years, growing as much as two feet per day. It has an extensive root system that continually sends up new shoots, naturally replenishing itself. It does not require replanting, making it one of the most renewable resources known. The species we use, "Moso" timber bamboo is not a food source, or a habitat, for the Giant Panda.

Bamboo holds the promise of a sustainable, cost effective and ecologically responsible alternative to the widespread clear cutting of our world's precious timberland.

The Color of Bamboo: Our bamboo comes in two colors, light, which is the natural color of the bamboo and dark, which is a honey color. The dark color is achieved by steaming the bamboo, bringing out the natural sugars, caramelizing it. This color is permanent and will not fade or wash out.

The Grain of Bamboo: There are three types: Vertical grain, Flat grain and End grain. Vertical grain, approximately 1/4" wide is taken from the side of the split pole; Flat grain, approx. 5/8" wide is from the face of the pole and End grain is the cross section of the pole.

The goal of Totally Bamboo is to be recognized as the leader in changing the way the world uses bamboo, as the new, ecologically renewable alternative to hard woods.