Cleave

The cleave is a hand tool used in willow basketry to split a rod of willow lengthways into three equal sections, called skeins, so a basket maker can work with material finer and lighter than a whole rod. Traditionally made from a very hard wood such as yew, it has a ball-like body pierced by three sharp points. To use it, the maker first cuts a T-shaped notch into the end of a willow rod with a knife, sets the cleave's points into the cut, and pushes the tool gently up the length of the rod, dividing it into three even skeins. The skeins are then trimmed across the knee with a knife and can be drawn through a shave or vertical knives to bring them to a uniform width, giving the finer material used in delicate or decorative basketwork.