Handmade Myrtlewood Garden Trug

Dimensions

• Large Trug: 10 H x 20 L x 11 W in
• Small Trug: 9 H x 13 L x 7 W in

Care Instructions:
Do not leave your basket exposed to continuous sun or rain, oil it occasionally with food safe mineral oil, and you will enjoy your basket for a lifetime!

Before turning to basketmaking, Don Barber spent more than 40 years building wooden ships in Coos Bay, Oregon—work that demanded precision, durability, and a deep understanding of wood. When he retired from shipbuilding in 1979, he carried those exacting standards into a new family venture, handcrafting baskets from locally sourced myrtlewood, a rare, fine-grained hardwood native to a small region of the Pacific Northwest, fastened with traditional copper nails.

That shipbuilder’s mindset still defines the work today. The business remains family-run, using many of the same tools and techniques honed in the boatyard. Some of the earliest baskets are still in daily use in the shop—built not just to be admired, but to last. Often called “collector’s items,” they’re valued just as much for their utility as for the legacy of craftsmanship behind them.