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History of Caning

Caning is the skin of the rattan plant that grows wild in many tropical climates as found in areas of Indonesia and Sumatra. The skin of these fast growing and rugged looking plants is peeled off and becomes caning. The interior of the plant, the pithy part is used for the manufacturing of wicker.
Cane can be woven by hand into the seat frame, back or sides of furniture. It is some what time consuming but when woven properly, will create a surface that is both exceedingly strong and most elegant.

Tips: How to make cane last for years? Every couple of weeks use a lightly dampened cloth and gently wipe the top surface. The caning needs to taste a bit of moisture. If you invest a few minutes a year doing this, your cane will last for many, many years.

Methods of Caning

• Traditional hand cane

In this method, the seat is woven directly into the frame of the chair. The strips of cane pass through holes within the panel.

• French hand cane

Strips of cane do not pass through the frame, but are glued and plugged into the frame. Therefore, you will not see the cane pass through the frame. This method is most time consuming.

• Machine caning

In the late 1800’s, Cyrus Wakefield realized that in order to mass produce furniture, especially wicker furniture, he needed to create a method whereby caning can be done quicker. He looked to the fast growing garment industry’s ability to weave fabric by machine. He applied this concept to strips of cane and was able to pre-weave the cane into many of our existing patterns and sizes. The rolls of pre-woven cane are presses into a groove that circumvents the desired panel and then it is held in place with a piece of reed or spline. This method is also called pressed caning. It is far less time consuming than caning by hand and therefore less expensive.

At Yorkville Caning, we are proud to say that we offer the largest variety of machine cane patterns in the country. To view a sampling of these patterns, click here.

Rush seats

• Genuine Rush

Genuine rush is cattails that grow along northern river banks. These cattails are aged, then broken in order to become more pliable, then woven into a seat frame. Most rushing is done in a pattern of four triangles that meet in the center.Genuine rush is very time consuming to do, but it has all the vibrant colors of river grass. It starts off mostly green with shades of brown, black, and other more subtle colors found. As it oxidizes with time it turns a golden brown color. It is most beautiful and highly durable.

• Prebound Genuine Rush

This is Oriental River Grass that is bound into cords that can be woven into a seat frame. Though it isn’t as beautiful as real genuine rush, it does share many of its aesthetic qualities. It is less time consuming to weave and therefore less expensive to do.

• Fiber Rush

This is a paper derivative woven into a thick cord that is woven into the seat frame. This is the least expensive method of rushing. It is most durable and has a good looking presence