Products - Materials

Woven Elm bark seat back.

Woven Kamba seat.

Woven Danish Cord seat.

Woven Elm bark seat.

Mixed Kamba and Elm bark stool seat.

I mostly use three different materials for weaving the seat tops. Danish Cord is made from twisted, waxed paper and resembles seagrass but is far tougher and more durable. Kamba is plaited grass imported from Tanzania by the charity Tools for Self Reliance. It has a beautifully natural look. Elm bark has a beautiful look, rustic and very tough with an appearance similar to leather. This special material is stripped from young elm trees before they become infected by Dutch Elm Disease. Elm is often difficult to source and it is a labour intensive job to prepare the bark for seating. It is not always available and costs on average £30 more per seat top than Kamba or Danish Cord. Seating materials can be mixed, such as the Kamba and Elm bark stool seat shown above.