Answers about basket weaving

Unpeeled willows already have different colours depending on the genus/species, containing all possible shades of colour from brown, red to green and even blue.

The different colours of the peeled willows are of natural origin and result from the treatment after harvesting. The tannin contained in the bark is responsible for the different colouring of the peeled willows during cooking.

Thus, all my willow products are always pure natural products without chemical additives.

Peeled willow comes in 3 natural shades.

White: Untreated peeled after harvesting

Brown: With bark boiled once and then peeled

Black: With bark boiled twice and then peeled

You can easily rinse the wicker basket thoroughly once a year with cold water in the bathtub. For heavier soiling, also use a root brush. Always brush in the direction in which the willow is woven, not across it.

To prevent the basket from becoming too brittle, you can also let it absorb moisture during a light summer rain or in the mist.

Then leave the basket to dry in a sheltered, shady and airy place. Be sure to avoid direct sunlight or a place next to the heater.

When cared for in this way, the basket will last for a long time.

Natural wicker baskets are only suitable for outdoor use to a limited extent. They quickly lose their colour due to weather influences, fade extremely and can also rot quickly when used as plant baskets.

Baskets made of unpeeled willow are still best suited for outdoors.

The production time basically depends on the size and shape of the basket. The pure working time for a normal shopping basket is about 2 to 3 hours.

However, the selection of the willows must also be added. This means sorting out a certain number of willows in different thicknesses from a large bundle of willows for e.g. ground cross, rear sight, layer and handle.

Whether a repair is worthwhile must always be decided individually.

Handles and handles can usually be repaired if the basket has been well cared for and is not varnished (which is the case with many baskets). However, if the basket is too brittle, it cannot be repaired. A repair attempt would only destroy more.

For an assessment it is helpful to see the basket to be repaired in advance. Either directly or on a picture, which you can send me by email.

What I definitely do not repair are baskets that are varnished. You can usually see the varnish at the crossing points of the willows, where a varnish nose often forms.
The reason why I don’t repair such baskets? The varnish has sealed all the willows and so they no longer absorb moisture and are then not flexible. This is necessary, however, so that no more damage occurs during repair.

With very few exceptions, the wickerwork offered in most shops is mass imported from low-wage countries.

Low labour costs, often child labour and inhumane working conditions are decisive for the low prices.

If you take transport and the many middlemen into account, you have to ask yourself who earns money from an average basket.
Another point is that the baskets are often chemically treated before transport to prevent mould and insect infestation. From the above-mentioned points of view, it is definitely not ecological.

My basketry is made exclusively from untreated European willow.

With love for basketry, high-quality products are created from our own production.
And all this in an environmentally and socially responsible way, and above all ecologically.

Wickerwork made of ratan is suitable for outdoor use to a limited extent. The prerequisite for this is that they are coated with clear varnish. Special wickerwork varnish is unsuitable for this purpose.

Wickerwork designer, as the basket maker is called nowadays, is still an apprenticeship. Training takes place at the state vocational school for wickerwork design in Lichtenfels.

Training to become a state-certified wickerwork designer takes place over 3 years on a full-time basis.

Information on the profession of wickerwork designer can be found here.

One always speaks of green willows when the bark is still present. Even if the colours of unpeeled willows are not green but red, yellow or brown, they are called green.

Wanne für Unterwegs

Depending on whether it is peeled or unpeeled willow, the soaking time also varies.

Peeled willows usually only need to soak for a few hours until they are pliable and can be woven.

The situation is different with unpeeled willows. Here, the soaking time ranges from a few days to several weeks. The time depends on the variety and is ultimately based on the basket maker’s experience.

In principle, freshly cut willow branches can be braided immediately. However, you should only weave decorative pieces, such as door wreaths or similar.

Fresh willows shrink in size as they dry and a basket would ultimately become a wobbly basket because the willows are no longer close together and overall stability is lost.

After the willow harvest when the sap is dormant between November and February/March, the canes are sorted lengthwise and stored in an airy but dry place for up to a year. Only then can they be soaked again for 1 to 3 weeks and then intertwined.

It is different with peeled willow. After the harvest, these are placed in water basins so that they start to grow again. The bark is then removed mechanically. The peeled willows are then stored in a dry and airy place and can be used for braiding about 1/2 year later. The soaking time for peeled willow is only a few hours (1-3).

I am currently not offering any braiding courses

The answer to this question must be clearly no. In modern times, wattled willows are grown in large fields and harvested mechanically when the sap is dormant from around November to February.

Pollarded willows are occasionally cut by conservation groups at the beginning of the year. However, apart from simple decorative purposes, these willow branches can only be used to a very limited extent for utility baskets. Especially since correct storage plays a big role. That’s why I also get my willows from the material dealer.

Flechtkurs

A basket maker doesn’t need a lot of tools for his craft. A striking iron, an awl, a basket-making knife, basket-making scissors and a tape measure are usually sufficient. But the most important tool is and remains the fingers.

Two material dealers from whom I also order my willows also supply tools. these are Andreas Schardt KG and Hans Ender

Sometimes the request for repairs seems like a trivial matter to a layperson. But that is often not the case. In addition to the material used, from willow to rush to grass, the area to be repaired also plays a major role in whether a repair is even possible.

The easiest way is to send one or two meaningful pictures by email or via the contact form along with your inquiry. Then I can literally get an idea. Because “strings” then become grass or rushes and willow suddenly becomes wicker. Since I don’t always have all the material (including the dimensions) in stock and I don’t process some materials at all, you can avoid a lot of misunderstandings thanks to a picture.

I deliberately avoid publishing braiding instructions. Whether on paper or in a more or less good video, both variants have the disadvantage of not being able to represent the third dimension or even answer questions.

Anyone who has never or rarely had to deal with the material willow will quickly become frustrated if the instructions cannot provide any situation-related questions or tips. Possible errors or misinterpretations of what is shown are not corrected and so a braiding course turns into a frustrating course.

You have to feel lichen and often it is the little things, the little tips that lead to success when processing willow and not the sheet of paper, not the colorfully illustrated book or not the greatest video somewhere from the depths of the Internet.

And even for experienced people, new braiding techniques are not always easy to implement based on such instructions. It takes a lot of time and a few failed attempts until the end result is somewhat what you expect. In my opinion, this is not the right way for impatient and, above all, inexperienced people to learn one of the oldest crafts in history.

So my answer to the question posed at the beginning: A very clear no. Paper and video cannot be good teachers, but can only provide an insight into the diverse craft and perhaps make you want to take a personal braiding course.

I recently noticed that people keep asking about a handmade/hand-woven basket.

As far as I know, there is currently no machine that weaves baskets. The question may perhaps be based on the pricing of the basketry. Each basket is basically woven by hand. Only the labor costs and production quantity with cheap workers decide the price here and not the use of machines.

Basically I don’t ship.

If you’re now wondering why, let me tell you that the Packaging Act and the associated compulsory registration for the recipient’s recycling of packaging, filling material and parcel tape mean that the administrative effort is in no way worth it for me. Since there is no shortage, compulsory membership in the recycling system would be due for the first box shipped.

Even if the customer sent me a basket for repair, for example, I would have to refuse the return shipment. As an entrepreneur, I am obliged to prove that this packaging is actually already licensed. And neither the customer nor I can prove that.
(Germn law)