Longaberger's Special Splints

Longaberger Baskets were handmade, and no two are alike.  One fun variation is the colors and markings in the maple splints.  If you look closely at your baskets, you might find some of these characteristics, which consultants were lucky to learn about and get samples of at the Bee (Longaberger Company convention) one year.  
                                         

I don't find many Birds Eye splints in my baskets, but I have luckily found it in lids and the frames of some long-ago Longaberger fruit prints.  It's sought-after in wooden products in general.

Light and shadow are created in Curly splints, but you luckily can't feel the ripples you see in the splint.  This is also seen in basket handles.

Longaberger created baskets using Heartwood in 2006, and that was probably when consultants had this training opportunity.  Heartwood can be dark all over or have dark streaks.

 Mineral streaking is common in splints and lids and gives the products pretty color variations.