The wickers grow in wet valleys near streams, in places like Camacha, Santo da Serra, São Vicente, Faial and São Jorge. The sticks are cut close to the ground in the first months of the year and put into water to germinate. After peeled and left to dry, they are ready to be worked. The craftsmanship of the lintel has secular traditions on the island.
An example is the conical baskets used to transport the grape, called barraleiros. However, the manufacture of wicker furniture only began in the nineteenth century. The industry wickerwork started in Camacha around 1850, when many English families living there had their cottages. William Hinton brought Italy furniture and asked local craftsmen to take that as a model. They proved to be perfect in this art and soon they began to sell furniture and rattan cane to the top hotels in Funchal and export to Germany and England.
Currently the Camacha parish continues to be the center of this activity. If you pass the Clock Coffee “Cafe Relogio” can see skilled craftsmen dedicated to their work. Among the artifacts produced are chairs, tables, baskets, baskets, animal sculptures, shelving and more. Many of these parts are exported to the United States, South Africa, Canada and Italy.