Black Ash Baskets with Jonathan Kline
Artisan Crafts Wood Splint Collectibles Using Century-Old Techniques
Mar 18, 2009
Jonathan Kline's wood splint baskets blend functionality with art. The baskets are fashioned from black ash (a wetland tree that grows in Upstate New York and New England) and the rims are carved from shagbark hickory. Jonathan's customers use the baskets in a variety of ways, as shopping containers, tabletop vessels to hold bread or fruit, and as ornamental pieces.
Identifying Trees for Basket Making
The process of creating the baskets is not simple. Yet, even though the task requires much time and patience, Jonathan believes making a basket is synonymous with simplicity. He can venture into the woods, collect the materials he needs from nature, and weave a basket in a little over a day. Straight trees that are free of knots or blemishes are the most ideal candidates for basket weaving. When selecting trees, Jonathan is mindful about the overall health of the forest. "I always leave the very best trees to provide good seed for the future," he says.
Building a Basket
After Jonathan cuts the trees from the woods, he uses a draw knife to strip the logs. Next, Jonathan pounds the logs; black ash separates at the annual growth rings creating layers from the logs. He pulls strips measuring 2 to 3 inches wide from the length of the logs. Jonathan scores the strips and cuts them into even-size splints. Once cut, each splint is shaved with a knife to remove springwood, a fuzzy soft wood layer that lies beneath the bark. In order to make the splints pliable for weaving, Jonathan soaks them in water.
When the splints are pliable, Jonathan lays out the pattern that will become the bottom of the basket. To achieve symmetry in the design, he's careful to continually examine and manipulate the wood. Once Jonathan completes the weaving on the basket, he must shape the rims and the handle before the basket is finished. While the basket dries in the sun (or by a wood stove), Jonathan carves the rims and handle out of hickory, a supple yet sturdy wood. He then folds and trims the spokes of the basket. Finally, Jonathan adds the rims and handle to the top, and another basket is complete.
Continuing a Time-Honored Tradition
In one year, Jonathan may make between 150 and 200 baskets. Some baskets are commissioned pieces. For example, Jonathan has crafted a pack basket for a hunter in Alaska who needed one for caribou hunting expeditions.
For Jonathan, who weaves a piece of the forest into every basket he creates, he feels there's a necessity for carrying on this tradition. "What I do provides a link, both historically to our past, as well as an elemental connection with the natural world," he says. "With one tree, and a few very simple hand tools, I make useful, durable and beautiful things. I feel a connection with each basket I make. I'm inspired both by the elemental connection and the joy it brings people who own and use the baskets."
Special Thanks
Jonathan Kline, Black Ash Baskets, 5066 Mott Evans Road, Trumansburg, NY 14886; 607-387-5718
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