The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Penninelad wrote: ↑Wed Jun 24, 2020 2:02 pm Most people who I have fished with simply use a basket to carry there tackle in and sit on a chair. At my age and weight sitting for long periods on a wicker basket would not be very comfortable!

Pallenpool wrote: ↑Wed Jun 24, 2020 1:35 pm At 141/2 stone you need steel reinforcements not willow staves
if you intend to sit on your basket and why wouldn’t you, and stability, keeping shape is a concern look out for a six stave basket I have seen 5 and 8 staves. You will be AOK! after all that was the only seat available to many whether small or large in stature back in the day.
David if you didn’t keep getting bites you’d stay still long enough for the concern to alleviate it’s all that getting up and down I may have a 12 stave knocking around somewhere

Old Man River wrote: ↑Wed Jun 24, 2020 2:23 pm

Pallenpool wrote: ↑Wed Jun 24, 2020 1:35 pm At 141/2 stone you need steel reinforcements not willow staves
if you intend to sit on your basket and why wouldn’t you, and stability, keeping shape is a concern look out for a six stave basket I have seen 5 and 8 staves. You will be AOK! after all that was the only seat available to many whether small or large in stature back in the day.
David if you didn’t keep getting bites you’d stay still long enough for the concern to alleviate it’s all that getting up and down I may have a 12 stave knocking around somewhere

Its dead easy to go off people Peter .

David

Pallenpool wrote: ↑Wed Jun 24, 2020 1:35 pm At 141/2 stone you need steel reinforcements not willow staves

Woodytia wrote: ↑Wed Jun 24, 2020 6:03 pm I noticed the item in question some time ago, it really is difficult to tell from a picture with regard to quality. They have lots of other baskets for sale so that suggests an element of mass production rather than a central outlet for cottage industry. I've still got the small creel my parents bought me over 40 years ago and it is still nice and solid, I only use it to store tackle these days although it is usable, my Dad's old creel which must be getting on for 80 years old is even better quality and has stood the test of time. I know for a fact mine was hand made by a partially sighted gent who was based in a remote cottage near a place called Inkberrow, perhaps there are similar craftsman / women still making traditional baskets who could turn their hand to making creels but I suspect like so many traditional skills the knowledge and necessary raw materials are in short supply which given the demand is reasonable.

Silfield wrote: ↑Wed Jun 24, 2020 5:09 pm

Pallenpool wrote: ↑Wed Jun 24, 2020 1:35 pm At 141/2 stone you need steel reinforcements not willow staves

Gawd, I have no chance then-at nearly 20 stone mine would need to be made of rebar

Wallys-Cast wrote: ↑Wed Jun 24, 2020 6:45 pm When I was a young lad, we lived near the Blind Welfare Association or the Blind School as it was known in those days, where they made all sorts of baskets from plant pot holders to massive laundry baskets and bath chairs.
My mother had a shop just around the corner so we knew all the workers very well and one year for my birthday she had one made for me with a bit of extra decorative weaving along the upper edges.

I often wandered over there to watch them making stuff. There were a couple of very skilled woodworkers too. It always amazed me how a person without sight could learn to make stuff.
I can still remember the smell of the huge baths full of wicker and cane strips, soaking for days before use and all left out overnight. Imagine that these days.

They made all the seat boxes for the local tackle shops and beyond. It was a fully hand made operation but on a scale of almost mass production.

I can remember a few years back seeing a picture of a barn stuffed to the rafters with seat boxes and other wicker baskets. This was after they had fallen out of fashion with anglers due to the arrival of the plastic seat box and they could no longer shift them. It may have been in the angling times.

Wal.