Sometimes it is interesting and sometimes makes you smile how some people imagine the craft of basket making and what is expected.
There is talk of a chair mesh that needs to be replaced. During an on-site appointment, it turns out that there is no sign of a braid anywhere in sight. What is meant here is the chair strap under the seat, which dissolves into its components. Well, it’s already braided. Somehow. In the broadest sense. Only an upholsterer does this and not a basket maker.
Or how the doorbell rings during the day and an older lady stands at the door with her (probably) daughter. I wonder if I can just repair two handles. Well, peeled willows also need to be soaked in water first. It’s only a few hours, but there’s no question of “just” here.
What’s also fun are calls well after 7 p.m. Or even on Sundays and public holidays at all (im)possible times. Many callers seem to be surprised when the answering machine answers. I also treat myself to a break from work. And the free weekends without markets and without braiding classes are mine.
It gets really funny when you receive repair requests via email with attached pictures of chair weaves. You can usually tell from the text that every basket maker throughout Germany and beyond the borders has been addressed. And of course people ask about the costs: “I have two chairs here. How much does it cost?”
It’s fun when you answer emails like that, even though I know I’ll never get an answer. Sometimes, when answering such emails, your fingers itch to move the decimal point a little to the right when it comes to the price or simply point bluntly to the link on the homepage, where the price calculator and shipping costs are listed. Ultimately, you remain polite and calm with such inquiries and answer them in detail, even if you are 99.9% sure the time invested has been spent in vain.
People regularly ask what a basket or bowl is for, or what you can put in or on it. At some point you roll your eyes, internally of course, and think, “Oh man.” So far, people have always answered politely, which is basically what the questioner expects. But recently the answer I got was “condoms.” As a reward for my spontaneous response, I received an incredulous look, a startling moment of pause, and then a hearty laugh.
To paraphrase Roberto B.: You have to have a little fun…
As a traditional basket-weaving workshop, we love nature and genuine craftsmanship. Our blog articles share personal workshop stories and historical insights. Terms such as ‘natural’ or ‘sustainable’ refer exclusively to our untreated wickerwork. For durable chair weaving, we use modern cotton weaving tape as standard. Legally binding information, material details and care instructions can be found in our FAQs.