Cane is the outer bark of the rattan palm, stripped into thin strands & woven by hand. A well-cared-for cane seat lasts thirty years. A neglected one lasts five.

Moisture is the enemy

Cane absorbs humidity from the air. It swells in summer & contracts in winter. These cycles weaken the strands over time. Keep cane furniture away from radiators, heating vents, & direct sunlight. A chair placed near a sunny window will bake the cane dry in a few years. If your house is dry in winter, run a humidifier in the room where the cane chairs live. It sounds fussy, but it is the difference between replacing a seat every five years & every thirty.

Cleaning

To clean cane, wipe it with a damp cloth about once a month. That's all it needs, really; soap, oil, or furniture polish all carry their own problems. Soap leaves residue that attracts dirt, while oil darkens cane irregularly & polish builds up & flakes.

If your cane looks dull, a lightly dampened cloth may restore it. Let it dry completely before anyone sits on it, of course.

When a strand breaks

A single broken strand isn't an immediate emergency, but it is a warning, & the surrounding strands will carry extra weight as a consequence. Cane weakens as a whole; if one strand has snapped, the strands next to it are probably soon to follow. This is why we generally recommend full re-caning in the event of damage.

We do hand caning across southern Connecticut. Send us a photo of the seat & we'll take a look. We'll tell you what recaning will cost.

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