NYC Chair Caning is NYC’s only custom machine & hand chair caning artisan restoring modern & antique chairs and furniture to their original beauty.
We are known for our high quality artistic designs, and as the only hand chair caning artisans in the Tri-State area who create original artistic designs upon request. Rush and the French Medallion cane weave have become our signature designs, and we also offer other fancy weaves that are unavailable in the area. See our weave patterns here >>
To compliment your beautiful new chair caning weave, NYC Chair Caning can also repair and refinish your caned and non-caned furniture.
We look forward to a long-term relationship with you.
OUR CHAIR CANING ARTISANS
Our Owner, Owner and Chief Chair Caning Artisan, learned the artistry of furniture and chair caning in Romania before coming to the United States. In Romania, Judith studied art which influenced her love of the beautiful French Medallion weave. There, and now in the New York City and Tri-State area, she is renown for her French Medallion chair caning weaves and Fancy Cane weave patterns -all inspired by her artistic eye and passion.
Judith and her team are experts at both machine chair caning and hand chair caning. They can weave any pattern, and are the only chair caning experts in NYC who offer custom designed chair cane weave patterns upon request.
What is Chair Caning – furniture & chair caning is a process of weaving chair seats, backs and other furniture, either while building new chairs or in the process of chair cane repair.
What is Cane – cane is the material used in chair caning. It comes from the peeled bark or skin of the rattan vine native to Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.
What are Cane Weaves – cane weaves are unique cane patterns designed to add beautiful aesthetics and comfort to furniture. Cane weaves are either hand caned or machine caned.
What Colors Can I Get – we can stain your cane any color; and we can repair, refinish, and restore the wood as needed.
THE CHAIR CANING PROCESS
Machine Chair Caning – also called pressed cane, pre-woven cane, cane webbing, sheet cane, and spline cane, is a process whereby cane is woven and mass produced as pre-made sheets. A Chair Cane Artisan then cuts, presses and glues the sheet into a groove around the frame. It is far less time consuming than hand chair caning, therefore less expensive.
Hand Chair Caning – also called Strand Cane or Hole-to-Hole Cane, is a process where cane is hand woven through a series of holes drilled through the perimeter of the frame. This process gives a more durable and long lasting caned seat. Hand chair caning is very tedious and time consuming, and therefore more expensive.
Machine & Hand Chair Caning FAQ’s
Is my chair hand caned or machine caned? You can determine if your chair is hand caned or machine caned by looking at the underside of the chair seat. If there are holes drilled through the frame of the chair, from the bottom through the topside of the seat, on the outer perimeter and strands of cane are woven or “laced” through the holes, your chair is hand caned. If your chair was machine caned, you will not see cane on the underside of the chair seat, rather the cane would have been pressed and glued into a groove on the top side of the chair’s seat frame perimeter.
How long does hand caning take vs. machine caning? One average sized machine caned chair takes 2-3 days, whereas it takes approximately 1 week to hand cane the same chair. The time may vary based on our workload and the complexity of your weave.
What is the cost of machine vs. hand caning Costs vary depending on the difficulty of the job, which translates to the time it takes us. Factors include the weave pattern, condition of the chair, and distance between drilled holes.
Machine chair caning is less labor intensive and takes less time, therefore is less expensive. A machine caned chair typically costs about $35 per 15-by-15-inch panel; or, $80-150 per chair.
Because of the time and labor involved, it can be expensive to hand-cane a piece of furniture. Hand caning typically costs $150 for a 15-by-15-inch panel, or $400+ per chair.
The difference between hand and machine caning is not only in appearance, but in durability. A machine caned chair will last about 7 to 10 years, while a hand caned chair will last 20 to 40 years. If you have a piece of furniture that needs re-caning, consider the monetary and sentimental value of the piece before making a decision on the method. Machine chair caning can detract somewhat from the value of the chair, but is a considerably more affordable option.
Can I convert my hand caned chair to machine caned chair, or visa versa? Yes, in most cases. We need to see your furniture, or a picture of the seat or backside of your furniture, to confirm. To convert from hand cane to machine cane, we will cut a groove around the frame which is used to press and glue the machine caned seat or material into place. Once it has been converted to machine cane, it usually cannot be converted back to hand cane. To convert from machine cane to hand cane, we’ll drill holes around the frame then complete the hand cane weaving process.
