Nantucket Baskets

Nantucket baskets are made from a number of materials, including stand cane material (the outer bark of Rattan, a vine that grows in southeast Asia), oak, or ash .  The strongest baskets are made with hardwood spokes and weavers of strand cane. The beauty of a Nantucket is enhanced by the weavers use of very thin weavers.  This creates a very delicate look when the thin weavers are tightly packed. 

The finest Nantucket baskets are made entirely by hand, including the mold, base, basket, rim, and handle.  We turn the bases and lids using a wood lathe.  Hardwoods are best to use, including Maple, Ash, Oak, and Walnut.  There are readily available hardwoods harvested in Pennsylvania.  Spokes for the basket are also hand rived from PA hardwoods, either White Oak or White Ash.  Long, thin, select strands of cane material are woven around a hardwood base.  The base serves as a mold around which the basket is hand woven. The rim and handle are attached using brass hardware and escheon nails, along with some natural or plastic fittings.