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Even though we are located in a tourist area at Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks, the majority of our business is derived from local residents and their referrals.  It is very common for "locals" to bring their out of town guests into the store, and those out of town guests then become regular customers.  

Our "native" oak baskets are handmade by local craftsmen in the same way they have been for generations.  Here are the steps involved in creating your native oak basket:

1.  Cutting the white oak tree.  Usually a pole about 6 feet long and 12" to 20" through at the butt end.

2. Shaping out the "split stick" and pulling the splits.  This is done with a home-made split knife, and requires skill and strength.

3.  Weaving the basket.  Sometimes woven over a wooden boxlike form, depending on the shape of the basket.

4. "Drying down" the basket, since the splits are woven green.

5. "Pulling down" the shrinkage, and cutting off the excess of the ribs, which are the vertical side pieces.

6. Inserting the handle and finishing off the top of the basket by "sewing" on the hoop, or top double band.

These are the steps we used to weave these baskets in 1947, and it's the way we still do it today!   And, if you call or stop by, you'll probably meet Delmar.  At age 75 he doesn't weave many baskets anymore, but he's in the store six days a week minding the register and visiting with customers.