Three-way expertise
The manufacturing of a rattan or aluminum chair is essentially based on the work of three craftspeople: the rattan worker who assembles the chair's frame, the cabinetmaker who creates the wooden seat frame, and the caners, most often female caners, who then fill the furniture. It is a complex process, with some tasks requiring years of apprenticeship, particularly caning, or weaving. Everything is done by hand, especially since rattan is a "living" and irregular material, so it can only be worked using artisanal methods.
Furniture Structure: The Rattan Craftsman's Work
The craft of the caner is essentially learned in a workshop from experienced caner artisans. The manufacturing of seats is entirely handcrafted. It involves expertise that is acquired over time. Five years of experience are required to earn the title of qualified fitter. Manufacturing a seat therefore requires expertise and dexterity, but not only.
Indeed, while the experienced caner is capable of making traditional furniture, such as the iconic Parisian bistro chair, almost with their eyes closed, they will need to show imagination and creativity to adapt to the sometimes whimsical inventiveness of decorators. A good caner is an essential pillar for the creation of new models. They will hand-craft the imagined furniture from a single raw material: rattan.
Rattan is worked raw, split, or peeled according to almost immutable processes. Several phases of work are necessary to construct a Drucker rattan chair:
When the cabinetmaker crafts robustness and elegance
At Maison Louis Drucker, the cabinetmaker, in consultation with the rattan maker and the decorator, must design and manufacture the custom frame for the furniture to be produced. It is up to the cabinetmaker to choose the quality of wood necessary for the strength and use of the furniture. He must also draw, design, and shape the first frame, which he will then have to manufacture in as many frames as required by the number of chairs, armchairs, benches, etc. desired. The frame is an essential element for the robustness and elegance of the furniture, as beautiful on top as it is underneath.
Weaving, Creating a Décor
The classic weaving technique on a rattan frame
Cane weaving, or the weaving of natural rattan strips or Rilsan or Raucord fibres, is an ancient craft similar to basketry. It is a type of weaving used to cover seats, backs, armrests, headboards, or any other furniture. It is a job that requires great care and dexterity. Sophisticated cane work demands extensive experience. Weaving a chair can take anywhere from three to thirty hours of work, depending on the complexity of the pattern and the number of coloured strands to be woven. The traditional work of Maison Louis Drucker's weavers on rattan furniture is done strand by strand; each strand is stapled, tightened, and stapled again onto the backrest or frame while creating the chosen pattern. The tension must not be too tight, as the strand risks breaking, nor too loose. Experience is paramount.
The weaving technique on metal
On aluminium frames, the strands are not stapled but knotted. The knots are invisible. This is a difficult and very refined technique, perfectly mastered by Maison Louis Drucker's weavers.
Step 2
The cut
The cutting involves cutting the poles into segments corresponding to the needs (seat structure, legs, arms, backs) according to their diameter and the location of the knots. These sections are then refined and the knots carefully sanded. This work requires great expertise.
Step 3
Steaming
SteamingSteaming for about twenty minutes at one hundred degrees is necessary to soften the rattan.
Step 4
The bending process
In this operation, the rattan is bent and then fixed onto a mould, which it will irreversibly take the shape of as it dries. There are over a hundred moulds, each corresponding to a different shape. One must work quickly, as the steamed pole does not remain pliable for long.
Step 5
Drying
The curved piece is left as is, attached to its jig, for three days.
The Drucker Touch
These are the steps in manufacturing a Drucker chair, to which is added the choice of colours, which has become one of Maison Louis Drucker's strong points in terms of design.
Manufacturing a Drucker chair requires both expertise and dexterity.
In addition to manufacturing, Maison Louis Drucker also restores pieces, some of which are centuries old, or meticulously reproduces collector's items. Maison Louis Drucker has carefully preserved the moulds and templates from the very beginning.
Step 6
Frame Weaving
The frame is woven first, before the structure is assembled.
Step 7
Assembly
The pre-bent parts (legs, backrests, armrests, etc.) are assembled to form the structure using screws and nails specially manufactured for Drucker.
Step 8
Back and Arm Weaving
The backrests and armrests are woven onto the assembled frame.
Step 9
The planking
Cane wrapping, which conceals the stapling of the cane to the frame, is characteristic of the traditional aesthetic of rattan seating.
Step 10
The finishes
Quality control, foot adjustment, installation of protective domes that reinforce the base of the feet, and finally varnishing.
Maison Louis Drucker
Maison Louis Drucker, founded in 1885 by Louis Drucker, is the oldest French artisanal rattan chair manufacturer.
Our Materials
This entirely artisanal production implements a know-how that is acquired over time.
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