Flat on one side, oval on theother. Lapping cane is a flat cane used in basketry for finishing off handles etc. Natural lapping has a matt finish. Lapping cane should not be used dry as it can be brittle. To raise it’s moisture content plunge the bundle of can into a bucket of water and when the bubbles stop rising from the cane remove it from the water. To help the flexibility and friction of the cane place a little drop of linseed oil in the water bath. If it becomes dry in working, damp it with a wet cloth. Lengths of cane will vary between 2 and 3 mts. Rattan grows up to several hundred mts long in the jungles of South East Asia, it is chopped to handy lengths of about 2 to 3mts for ease of carrying. Approx 160 mts in length.