Webbing stretcher

Traditional chairs are constructed of an open wooden frame, with their seat often supported by interwoven jute or cotton herringbone webbing.

As the handle is further away from the fulcrum than the slot, there is a mechanical advantage of about 3:1 in the tensioning force that can be generated, compared to simply pulling.

A wooden or plastic block has a row of sharp raised point to grip the webbing by piercing it.

The block is either held and pushed to tension the webbing, or a turned wooden handle on a gooseneck wire is used to pull it.

[6] The other edge of the block is sometimes padded to avoiding marking the frame, but is not as effective a lever as the traditional grooved type.

This type is commonly used for making cheap furniture, where rubber webs are stapled permanently into place.