Picking Knife

The picking knife is a hand tool used to finish a woven willow basket by trimming away the loose or uneven ends of rods once weaving is complete. It has a curved or outward-facing blade, generally of high carbon steel, set into a wooden handle, and is worked closely along the surface of the basket so the maker can cut off protruding willow ends flush without nicking the weave itself. The blade's shape lets it follow the curve of the basket's surface, giving the finished piece a neat, even edge.