The following post is from Eric:
Every now and then I find a video worth passing on. Here is one that I came across and think is worth watching. A reporter interviewed an 88-year-old basket maker of handmade white oak baskets, named Willie.
Take notice of when the basket maker says “his niece makes a prettier basket out of commercial… Mine are made of wood, I bust it out.” I have great respect for those that start with the tree and work with their hands to make a basket.
This is the old school way. They are rough around the edges, yet they all begin from the tree. The more that non-basket makers understand this, then the more appreciation they might have for the art and also all the work that goes into this entire process. If you purchase a kit, the materials come from somewhere.
At the end the reporter reminds us of Willie’s statement that the store bought baskets might be prettier. I believe the reporter might’ve misunderstood where he was coming from. What I believe he meant was there are a lot of other basket makers that do great work that you can purchase in stores but there’s a different kind of beauty. To say that his baskets made from a tree in the USA is not as pretty or worth as much as a reed basket made in China is crazy. I would purchase one of his baskets any day.
Thanks Eric! And it’s a sweet video.
