The Caning Shop

The Caning Shop has been supplying gourd crafters, basketmakers, and chair caners with superior quality materials since 1969. Since we guarantee our work and supplies, our buyers conscientiously seek the finest quality materials that can be found out of the jungles of Indonesia and Malaysia. Our thick, beautiful gourds come from the finest growers in California.

Recognizing that high quality materials are easiest to use, are longer lasting, and make a finer finished product, The Caning Shop offers only the finest grades of chair cane, binder cane, cane webbing spline, flat oval and round reed, rattan poles, seagrass, ash splints, hickory bark, rawhide, shaker tape, gourds, basketry dyes, hoops and handles, pressed fiber seats, raffia, waxed linen threads, and tools.

The Caning Shop owner, Jim Widess, personally researches every item we sell. His criteria for his selection of tools includes: superior customer support, the lasting quality of the product and it's ease and comfort in use. He has a personal relationship with every supplier and tool manufacturer he represents and they understand the importance that Jim gives to supporting his customers and how he will extend himself to make sure that every customer is happy with his or her purchase. You can be assured that everything you find in our catalog has been tested and used by all of us and we will stand behind it. "It has to be not only the best, but also good enough," says Jim.

We also have an amazing selection of beads from around the world. Our buyers select only the best quality glass, stone, bone, shell, wood, pewter, silver, old and new beads. They can be used to decorate gourds and baskets or they can be strung together as they have for thousands of years, to make jewelry. You might call The Caning Shop one of Berkeley's best, but as yet, undiscovered bead shops.