At first our baskets were basic round reed replicas using sterling silver wire. As we gained more knowledge of and with the metal, we began to expand the range of styles we used for baskets.

Sterling silver is pure silver alloyed with copper, which gives it strength and durability. We use a rolling mill, which is a pair of adjustable steel rollers that flatten round wire uniformly.

Rolling the correct gauge wire to achieve the width or thickness of strands needed for weaving a specific basket helps us to produce the correct scale.

When metal is wrought with a hammer or rolled through a rolling mill, it is work hardened, or more simply “tense”. To continue to work with it could cause a fracture. It must be annealed, a process of heating and slow cooling, to restore its original flexibility. Although, annealing can be accomplished with either a kiln or a torch, we prefer to use a torch. For silver the annealing temperature is about 1100*F. and when it cools it is soft “relaxed” and ready to use.

We use white pine wood to make most of our forms. Or, if a harder surface is needed we use black walnut. Straight-sided forms are sawn with a small band saw, while curved shapes are carved with a knife. Oval forms are the most difficult to make. Sometimes a test basket has to be made on a new form to check its trueness. Then, if necessary, further refinement can achieve the desired shape.

Metal basketry is like natural fiber basketry in that you must rely on instinct and experience to help decide on the size of material for the rim, ribs, and so on. We put our metal baskets together just like natural fiber baskets, with the exception of soldering in certain spots on occasion. Metal strands slip against themselves, unlike natural fibers that cling to each other. Other than this, there are no real restrictions to weaving baskets with metal.

There are several options for finishing a basket: 0000 steel wool produces a soft, brushed look. A buffing machine provides a high polish with a muslin wheel or a bristle brush. We often oxidize the baskets using a liver of sulfur painted on the surface that turns the metal black. When buffed with steel wool or a brush wheel on a buffing machine, only the high spots get polished, leaving darkened areas that help create an antique look