How to Identify the Three Types of Cane Seats

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By WickerWoman
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Horseshoe shaped traditonal handwoven cane seat chair

If you've ever called to have a cane chair rewoven one of the first things the repair person will ask is, "What kind of cane is it?"

Most people haven't a clue as to what type of cane seat they have in their chair, so through this article you will be able to answer the question with confidence!

You will know how to identify the three types of chair cane seats patterns.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

A chair or rocker with woven cane (or wicker) in either the seat, back or sides

Step 1

Cane seated chairs are often times referred to as "wicker" seats, too. Although wicker just means that it's a woven chair and does not tell you what kind of cane was used in the weaving.

There are basically three types of chair caning methods, each using different weaving techniques, materials and even chair frames. And it's easy to spot the difference once you know what you're looking for!

Going by many different names, the three main types of caning methods and pattern designs are:

1.) hole-to-hole, strand caning, lace or hand caning
2.) pressed cane, machine woven, spline cane or cane webbing
3.) porch cane, wide binding cane or binder's cane
Step 2

Hole-to-hole caning, woven one strand at a time

TRADITIONAL HOLE-TO-HOLE STRAND CANING -- The most common and the one that's been around the longest is traditional hole-to-hole cane or hand caning.

This type of strand cane comes in several different sizes, widths or gauges. The design or pattern of the finished seat is achieved by weaving one strand of cane at a time through a series of holes that are drilled through the perimeter of the chair frame. This creates octagon shaped holes in the finished seat pattern.
Step 3

Turn chair upside down to examine the bottom of the seat. Do you see drilled holes with cane between them?

Turn a hole-to-hole cane chair upside down to examine and see if there are holes drilled through the frame. Then too, there should also be cane stretched or looped between the holes, with possibly tied knots in the cane.
Step 4

Pressing in reed spline into groove to hold sheet cane in place.

SPLINE CANE, MACHINE WOVEN CANE OR CANE WEBBING -- Spline cane, machine woven cane or pressed cane have a routed out groove around the perimeter of the chair seat, rather than any drilled holes.

And the prewoven loomed sheet of "fabric" cane is pressed into the groove and held in place with glue and spline that are also in the groove.
Step 5

Turn a spline cane chair upside down and all you'll see is the bottom or wrong side of the sheet cane, and the bottom of the wooden seat frame. No holes, no strands of cane--clean as a whistle!
Step 6

Post and rail chair frame.

PORCH CANE, BINDER'S CANE OR WIDE BINDING CANE -- The final type of chair seat caning is porch cane, wide binding cane or binder's cane.

The gauge of cane used here is either 4MM, 5MM, 6MM or even sometimes slab rattan, which is quite wide at over 1/4". This type of caning is woven around the seat rungs in a post and rail chair frame.
Step 7

Porch cane chair with woven seat and back, herringbone design.

The cane is wrapped around all four rungs or dowels, which make up the seat. And is woven on both the top side and bottom side, creating an open "pocket" between the weaving.

Backs are treated the same, with cane wrapping around the rails, creating an inner pocket between the front and back sides.

Weavers get very creative here and can weave designs in the basketweave pattern, the herringbone twill pattern, diamond pattern, Native American motifs and even monograms with their own initials!
Step 8

Diamond weave cane footstool done with dyed cane and natural.

Now see, that wasn't so hard, was it? When ever asked again what kind of cane is it in your chair, you can shout out boldly the correct name--either hand caning, cane webbing or porch cane!

Comments

mcw1961 said

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on 3/16/2009 Cathryn is a most impressive person in her field, just in the past two articles I have read, she has given a clear and concise overview of the difference in seatweaving that are simple and easy to understand, I am most impressed by her knowledge.