HUGH FREEMAN BASKETS AND CARVINGS

Made by Hugh Freeman, this black ash trout creel is varnished with spar varnish to ensure longevity. His personal creel has travelled by boat or on hip through woods and swamps for miles, sometimes carrying up to six pounds of fish, and has endured intact for over six years. Of the dozens of creels owned over several decades, his first successful model of this creel is his first type of creel to have survived the rigors of trout fishing. These are reliable working creels.

The latest additions to successful basket types, the two fruit baskets below are also made of hand pounded black ash - the 10 inch diameter one is mahogany stained while the 15 inch diameter one has been left natural. Each is 4 inches deep. Normally left in natural finish, these creels can be stained, varnished or finished to suit a customer's wishes.

Creels And Carvings

 A Favourite Place

Many fishing trips were interrupted with  years of military service, followed by a decade of house building, an antique repair business and countless personal  cabinetmaker projects. Purchase of a camp containing an ancient Micmac style trout creel  that was beyond use led to making a personal one based on that model and incorporating a Shaker influence, then several for family members and now being able to offer a limited number for customers. Basket making has also becoming a passion so it has been natural to graduate to producing fruit baskets and other styles

Limited carvings are a nice addition for  quiet times and a logical outcome from repairing intricate antique furniture and their carvings.  

A One Man Show

 Almost, with one Grandson now able to help pound logs and eager to try basket weaving.

I'm most reliably available by email hugh.freeman@hotmail.com 

Of course you can also contact me by phone and I welcome shop visits, but it's best to phone first, especially in summer when I may be 'gone fishn'.

I may have a creel or a fruit basket on the shelf, usually have one or more in progress or would be pleased to build one to satisfy an order.

Plans to also produce a pack basket are progressing and I'll announce  success with that by publishing pictures as soon as I'm satisfied with the products.