Making a Guernsey Willow Crab Pot with Max Gaudion

Max Gaudion is a retired, part-time Guernsey fisherman and made all of his own willow crab pots, ponier à cous and courges (types of fishing basket), as taught to him by his great uncle Wilfred Gaudion. Although retired from fishing, Max is still making, demonstrating, and selling withy pots and fishing baskets, as well as running workshops in Guernsey to share his specialist knowledge, in his spare time.
The heritage knowledge and skill of Guernsey withy pot making is an endangered craft. To his knowledge, Max is the only person making crab pots in Guernsey today, and he is now 75. Max and his daughter Claire (also a basket maker) believe it is important that Guernsey withy pot making is taught and documented to preserve its identity into the future. The purpose of this video is to create an archival record of the process, to contribute to the preservation of this traditional craft into the future.
Filmed in Guernsey, by Claire Gaudion.
www.guernseywillowbaskets.com
Instagram @ guernseywillowbaskets
00:00 Introduction to Guernsey crab pots by Max Gaudion.
08:27 Max demonstrates making a Guernsey crab pot whilst sharing anecdotes about local fishing history.
17:50 Beginning the twist weave to make the neck of the crab pot and talking about different shapes of withy pot.
20:30 Shaping the pot using a peg stand and adding ribs.
25:15 Maintaining the pot shape by re-tying the rib strings, and the story of Arthur’s watch.
35:33 Weaving over the ‘shoulder’ of the pot, adding in more ribs and twist willow.
38:38 Detailed view of adding willow into the twist.
41:43 Strings and ribs are untied, and the peg is removed.
46:04 Finishing the twists, taking the wooden disc/mould out, and trimming inside the pot.
48:11 Making the base of the pot.
51:23 Max demonstrates weaving the base of the pot.
Thank you for watching!

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