The furniture sampling process — approve the piece before you commit the container.
A sample is where a quote becomes a decision. We prototype to your drawing or our catalogue, ship a trial piece LCL, and lock the approved sample as the production standard — so the container you buy matches the piece you held.
De-risk the order. Hold the real piece before you fill a container.
Solid wood moves, finishes read differently in daylight, and joinery only proves itself under load. Sampling lets you test wood species, finish, construction and dimensions on an actual piece — then scale with confidence. Because a trial order can ship LCL, you commit to a full container only after the sample has earned it.
See the material honestly
Sheesham, mango, acacia, teak or reclaimed wood each carry their own grain and tone. A physical sample shows the finish and colour your shelves or hotel floor will actually receive.
Prove the build
Joinery, hardware, stability and weight tell you whether a piece survives retail handling and commercial use. You approve construction, not a render.
Fix the standard
The signed-off sample becomes the reference every production piece is QC-checked against — so a repeat container three months later still matches.
From reference to approved sample in four stages.
Share the design
Send a drawing, a reference photo, a physical sample or a line from our catalogue. ODM from our ready designs, or OEM fully to your spec and private label.
Quote & confirm spec
We quote the sample and confirm wood species, finish, dimensions, hardware and packaging format — assembled or flat-pack / knockdown — before a single cut is made.
Prototype & ship
We build the prototype — with custom CNC carving or bespoke joinery where the design needs it — and ship it LCL so you can hold, test and photograph the real piece.
Approve & scale
You sign off the sample. It becomes the production standard, and we scale to your order — typically a 30–45 day lead time, QC-checked against your approved piece.
Everything your production run should inherit from the approved piece.
A good sample is a contract in physical form. Fix every variable below on the prototype, and the production container becomes a faithful repeat rather than a fresh gamble. We document the approved specification alongside the shipment paperwork.
| Variable | Fixed at sample approval |
|---|---|
| Wood species | Sheesham, mango, acacia, teak or reclaimed wood |
| Finish & colour | Stain, sheen and tone — CARB / TSCA-compliant finishes |
| Construction | Joinery, hardware, load behaviour, tolerances |
| Dimensions | Exact measured spec, signed off by the buyer |
| Packaging | Assembled or flat-pack / knockdown; retail-ready options |
| Compliance set | FSC chain-of-custody · Vriksh · EUDR-ready due diligence |
How the trial order becomes the production order.
Sampling and the full order are one continuous path. The table below shows how the commercial terms shift from the LCL trial piece to the FCL production run — so you can plan capital, freight and timing from the first enquiry.
| Stage | Order type | Shipping | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trial / sample | Single piece or small set | LCL (part-container) | Approve wood, finish, build & dimensions |
| First production order | From one 20ft FCL | FCL · FOB or CIF | Scale the approved sample to volume |
| Mixed load | Furniture + décor + metalware | Consolidated FCL | Single-source a full compliant container |
| Repeat order | Re-run against approved sample | FCL · 30–45 day lead | QC-matched repeats, ISPM-15 packed |
Ships from Mundra / Nhava Sheva on FOB or CIF terms. Flat-pack / knockdown samples confirm the format that later maximises container density on the production run.
Make your sample work harder.
Send what you have
A CAD drawing, a phone photo, a competitor piece or a sketch on paper — any of these is enough to start. Our OEM and CNC capability turns a reference into a measured prototype.
Sample the range, not just one piece
If you are building a collection or a private-label range, sample the hero pieces together so finishes, proportions and packaging read as one coherent line.
Plan sampling into your timeline
Prototyping sits ahead of the 30–45 day production lead. Share your launch or season dates early; urgent sampling can be accommodated at a premium.
Furniture sampling — answered.
How does the furniture sampling process work?
It runs in four stages: you share a design, drawing, photo or catalogue reference; we quote the sample with wood, finish and build spec; we prototype the piece — including custom CNC carving where needed — for your approval; then, once you sign off wood, finish, joinery and dimensions, we lock that approved sample as the production standard and scale to your order. A trial or sample order can ship LCL (part-container) before you commit to a full container.
Can I order a single sample before a full container?
Yes. A trial or sample order can ship LCL (less-than-container-load) so you can hold, test and photograph the actual piece before committing capital. For best wholesale pricing thereafter, one 20ft full container load (FCL) is our standard minimum, and we consolidate mixed categories into that container.
Do you make custom samples to my own drawings?
Yes. We are both ODM (we sample from our own catalogue designs) and OEM (we prototype to your drawings, finishes, dimensions and private-label requirements), with custom CNC carving and bespoke joinery. Send a drawing, a reference photo or a physical sample and we build to it.
How long does a furniture sample take?
Sample and prototype timelines depend on complexity and finish, and sit ahead of the typical 30–45 day production lead time for the approved order. Urgent sampling can be accommodated at a premium. Share your target dates with your enquiry and we confirm a realistic schedule.
What should an approved sample lock in before production?
It should fix wood species, finish and colour, joinery and construction, exact dimensions, hardware, packaging format (assembled or flat-pack/knockdown) and the compliance documentation set — FSC chain-of-custody, Vriksh timber-legality and EUDR-ready due diligence — so the production run matches the piece you signed off.
Is the approved sample used for quality control on the production order?
Yes. The signed-off sample becomes the reference standard. Every production piece is QC-checked against it, and third-party inspection (SGS) can be arranged, so what clears at the factory and ships from Mundra / Nhava Sheva matches what you approved.
Send us one piece to prove. We'll build it to hold.
Share your drawing, reference or catalogue selection and we'll quote a sample, prototype it, and ship it LCL for approval — the first step toward a QC-matched, fully compliant container from Jodhpur.