Splint Weaving Danish Cord Weaving Shaker Tape Weaving
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Hand woven cane seats are distinguished by a series of
continuous holes around the seat frame. Cane is woven through these
holes to form a seat. Cane is the bark of rattan which is cut into
strips by a machine. It comes in a number of widths. The size of the
holes in the seat frame and the distance between them determines the
size of the cane to be used.
Cane has a natural glossy finish and does not require the use of a preservative. Hand woven cane is priced at a per hole rate plus cost of supplies. |
Pressed Caning
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Pressed or machine woven cane is very similar in appearance to hand woven. It comes ready-woven in sheets of different sizes. It is set into a groove which runs around the seat frame and held in place by a slender piece of reed called spline. Machine woven cane comes in various weaves and meshes. It also does not require the use of a preservative. Machine woven cane is priced at a per inch rate measuring groove to groove plus the cost of supplies. |
Rush Weaving
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Genuine rush is a leaf of a plant of the cattail family. One to three leaves are normally twisted into a strand which is then used to weave a seat, however, a pre-twisted rush is available today. Most true rush has been replaced with a fiber made of twisted paper. It is made to resemble genuine rush and comes in sizes from 3/32" to 7/32". Various colors are also available in some sizes. Genuine rush is usually reserved only for the fine antique while fiber is used for the practical seat. Fiber rush is protected on the top and bottom with 2 coats of shellac. Genuine rush is finished with a boiled linseed oil mixture. Genuine rush is green, but it will turn brown in 6 months. Price is based on the size and type of the chair and the material used. |
Splint Weaving
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Splint is obtained from native ash, hickory and rattan palm. As with rush work, chairs on which splint is used must have rails to weave around. Splint is most suitable for chairs simple in design with few turnings. Flat reed comes in widths from 3/16" to 1". Ash splint, however, is available only in 1/2" and 1" widths. The style and use of the chair, along with personal preference, determines the type and size of material. Any of the above materials with a glossy finish can be left unfinished as they have a natural protective finish. The other materials are finished by applying a mixture of boiled linseed oil and paint thinner. Pricing is based not only on the size of the seat, but the
type of material and the intricacy of the pattern woven. |
Danish cord is a twisted 2 or 3 ply cord that is applied to chairs of Scandinavian origin. It is normally wound around L-shaped nails on the underside of the seat.
This work is priced by a front rail inch measurement, the type of weaving design and the cost of materials.Top of Page
Shaker Tape Weaving
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Tape-woven seats and backs are most commonly associated with Shaker or Shaker-like chairs. These chairs were made by the Shaker communities in this country over 100 years ago. There are two requirements for a tape-woven seat: the chair rails must be round and the four rails must be on the same level. The material used is a tightly woven cotton canvas tape available in 5/8" and 1" widths. It is available in a variety of colors. The price for Shaker tape weaving is based on the size of the chair and the cost of the supplies. |
