Hardwood Splint Preparation: From Log to Weaving Strip

The production of usable weaving strips from a hardwood log is the most labour-intensive step in splint basketry. The quality of the finished basket depends heavily on how well the splints were prepared — their thickness, flexibility, and consistency across the length of the strip all affect how the weave behaves and how long the basket holds its shape.

Species Used in Canadian Basketry

Black ash (Fraxinus nigra) is the dominant splint wood across the northeastern part of Canada — particularly in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Ontario. Its wood structure allows pounding to separate the annual growth rings cleanly, producing long, flexible strips without splitting along the grain. The species grows in wet lowland sites and swamp margins, and trees from these environments tend to have the tightest and most consistent ring structure for basketry.

Brown ash (Fraxinus profunda or occasionally other species referred to regionally as brown ash) is used in some areas of eastern Canada, though it is less common. White oak (Quercus alba) and red oak are used in some southern Ontario settler traditions, but oak splints are produced by splitting rather than pounding and have different working properties.

Log Selection and Timing

Not every black ash tree produces good splints. Basketmakers typically select trees that are straight-grained, free of knots in the usable section, and large enough to yield strips of workable width — a trunk diameter of 15 to 25 cm is often cited as a practical working range, though larger trees can be used if the grain is consistent.

Traditionally, trees were felled in late spring or early summer when the wood is green and the moisture content is high. Green wood pounds more easily than dry wood, and the annual rings separate more cleanly. However, trees can be processed in other seasons if kept moist before working.

The Pounding Process

Once a section of log has been cut to a manageable length — typically 60 to 120 cm, depending on the intended basket height — the bark is removed and the log is pounded along its length with a wooden mallet or a smooth-faced hammer. The striking force separates the wood along the boundary between annual growth rings.

Pounding proceeds in rows along the log, working around the circumference until the outer layer of wood — one annual ring — begins to lift away. This layer is then peeled off as a continuous strip. The process is repeated until the log has been reduced to strips or the remaining core is too small to yield useful material.

Splitting and Sizing

After pounding, individual splint layers are split lengthwise to the widths required for the specific basket being made. Uprights (the vertical structural elements of the basket walls) are typically cut wider than weavers (the horizontal elements that interlace through them). Decorative elements may be cut very narrow — sometimes only a few millimetres — for fine pattern work.

Splitting is done with a sharp knife, running along the grain. The maker holds the strip taut and guides the knife rather than pushing it, relying on the straight grain of the wood to keep the split even. This requires practice; uneven grain or tension causes the split to wander.

Scraping and Finishing Splints

Raw splints often have rough surfaces from pounding or from knot irregularities in the wood. Scraping with a drawknife or a piece of broken glass was the traditional method for smoothing and evening the thickness. Contemporary makers may use a cabinet scraper or sandpaper for the same purpose.

Finished splints are stored damp or dried flat for later use. If stored dry, they must be re-soaked before weaving. If stored damp for extended periods, they risk mould — traditionally this was managed by keeping splints in cool conditions or working through them quickly during the season.