Need source for sisal cord used on antique low stool

[Phil Addison]

I have an old low stool I want to repair as it will no longer withstand the weight of the grand-children. It has a 50x28cm woven cord seat with a lovely patina, but the joints are all loose and to repair those I need to remove the cord weave and replace it. It needs replacing anyway as it is stretched and weak, and a strand is completely broken in one place. My problem is sourcing the cord, I've tried Goggling, craft shops and ship's chandlers with no luck so far.

The cord is I think a form of sisal 4mm diameter, with a double twist, and it needs about

100m. See photos

Any suggestions for 'aging' the new cord welcome!

Phil

[jkn]

Hi Phil It could be seagrass, which is easily obtainable. I am using this to re

-seat some chairs at the moment. Seagrass comes with a slightly green tinge to it but I believe ages to a browner finish. Sisal is pretty 'hairy' and we be unformortable on a chair, I'd have thought.

No idea about aging, sorry!

HTH Jon n

[Jonathan]

he weight of the

t the joints are

it. It needs

broken in one

d it needs about

I have used the paper cord from these people

I have used it on many chairs and it seems to last well.

Jonathan

[S Viemeister]

weight of the

the joints are

needs about

photos

Yes, I've been surprised at how well the paper stuff holds up. It looks a bit more like twisted rush, than proper cord, though.

[Phil Addison]

re-seat some chairs at the moment. Seagrass comes with a slightly green tinge to it but I believe ages to a browner finish. Sisal is pretty 'hairy' and we be unformortable on a chair, I'd have thought.

I've seen seagrass in the local craft shop and it seemed very lightweight and didn't have the authentic multiple strand look so I'm still looking. I think my stool is actually sisal but perhaps was originally waxed or treated to contain the hairs. The stool is over

60 years old.

Ironmongery/garening shops sell sisal but I've only seen about 1/2 the diameter of what I want, namely around 4mm.

[jkn]

Hi Phil

The seagrass I am using is around 4--5mm in diameter and has the 'double twist' look shown in your images. Are you sure you weren't looking at (eg. Raffia?)

Something like this (I happened to buy mine from somewhere else):

HTH Jon N

[Tim Lamb]

Search on *sisal baler twine*. Still available for ancient agricultural balers that don't like modern plastic stuff. About 10,000' to the ball:-)

Only single strand so you would have to make your own pairs. Two equal lengths and a battery power drill?

[Phil Addison]

I chased up Tim's *sisal baler twine* and this

seems to be the closest, but compared to mine it looks more like 'gardening quality' with all that hairyness, and less dense than the original.

I won't discount the seagrass but would really like to find out what the original cord was.

[Chris Holford]

In article , jkn writes

I have a stool seated with sisal; yes it was a bit hairy, but has mellowed with age. The post office used to use sisal string for tying bundles of letters before the used the red rubber bands, (you could always do a Sherlock Homes to identify a postal worker by the callus on the first joint of his index finger which was caused by trying knots in sisal string).

[fred]

Yes I used ordinary 'hairy' twine many years ago to re-do some chairs. Big mistake was I didn't use gloves. Ended up with fingers like red bananas.

[Phil Addison]

Update: Thanks for the pointer to these people. After some corresponence with them and a much closer examination of my cord I'm convinced it is seagrass, and definitely not sisal

- no signs of 'hairyness', in fact the individual strands are a flat material. (see updated photos

Tim at seatweavingsupplies explained ... "The material appears to be seagrass which changes to this golden brown colour over time and exposure to the light. New seagrass is green/grey/beige initially, but does change colour gently as it is used, trying to artificially alter the colour is difficult. You will probably need one kilo of material".

So I've ordered a kilo and a half and waiting for it to arrive.