Our Process

Day Baskets are made from the highest

grade, clear, white oak available from a local

lumber company. After hand-selecting only

the clearest lumber, from which the strips are

cut, the lumber is sawed and steamed for

softening in the steam box. From there it is

clamped to a bench where the strips are cut

off and split with a draw knife, thus producing

"stanups" and "fillers".

The stanups serve as the bottom and

framework for weaving the baskets. The

"hoops" which are sawed, as opposed to

split, are used to strengthen the mouth of the

basket. After the sides are woven, the weaver

wraps an outside hoop around the inside

hoop and nails through both hoops with

brass nails. These nails automatically crimp

themselves when they strike the steel band

on the form.

Next, yokes if needed, are laced under the

fillers from the bottom of the basket for

reinforcement. Some baskets are also fitted

with handles of different types.

The production of a basket is a three to four

day process. On the first day the bottom of

the basket is made and dried overnight.

The second day the basket is woven and the

hoops attached. After again drying overnight

the basket its trimmed, sanded and finished.

On large baskets an extra day is needed

because the fill material shrinks after weaving

and is packed down and new fill added before

attaching the hoops.

The basket is now ready for selling in our

shop, next to our factory, or for shipping to

our customers all over the country.

The completed Day Baskets have hundreds

of uses and come in a variety of sizes and

styles. We have market baskets in four

different sizes, round farm baskets with

bentwood handles or rope handles, picnic

baskets with lids, laundry baskets, fish or

firewood baskets, berry baskets, picking

baskets with drop handles, eel pots, and

many other too numerous to mention.

When you purchase a Day Basket, you will

know that you have bought the finest quality,

American made product, produced today, in

the same old fashion way it was 139 years

ago. Or attend a “Day Basket” class and

make your own piece of “American History”!

Basket classes forming Summer of 2015.

Contact us for more information.