OVER 75 YEARS OF HAND CRAFTING FURNITURE

LEW TUT opened in San Mateo in 1938 by Mr. Lew Tut, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1936. Mr. Tut lived on Stockton Street with relatives from the same village, Toi-san. During the day, the group worked in the shops and stores in Chinatown. In the evenings, they would earn extra money by repairing and caning chairs.

Caning, an ancient Chinese art practiced for centuries by the ancestral village of the Lew family, is the specialty of the store. The craft of hand caning a piece of furniture takes not only care and patience, but also an understanding of the furniture’s strength—This strength is determined by the proportion of the furniture (shape and size)  along with the cane (shape and size) to build or repair strong furniture. This art has passed through three generations in the United States. Mr. Lew Tut opened LEW TUT with the encouragement and help of his son, Bing Lew. In San Mateo, it was a family business that eventually included the three generations working together to accomplish the American Dream.

Mr. Lew Tut’s grandson, Don Lew, is now continuing the tradition. Don Lew was born here in San Mateo, California. Second in the family of four children, he attended Beresford Elementary School and Hillsdale High School. He graduated with a Bachelor of Art Degree from San Francisco State University.

The store has expanded its scope under the guidance of Don. LEW TUT offers caning, rushing weaving rattan, and wicker repair. From experience and understanding of the material, Don Lew had brought the business to a new level with Works of Wicker (the retail portion of the businesses). Works of Wicker was open from 1992 and Don’s wife Nanette focused on the retail side, while Don kept up LEW TUT the repair side.  After many years of Works of Wicker and wonderful retail customers, in 2015 Don and Nanette decided to focus exclusively on the repair business, LEW TUT.