This seven-stick comb-back chair is built from a 2,000-year-old oak tree that was preserved in a Polish bog and recently harvested. The wood, which is remarkable and difficult to photograph, varies from charcoal black to a beautiful olive to a warm chestnut brown.
This chair is one of my newer designs; it uses a four-piece arm (for stability) and a thin shoe, which streamlines the look by removing visual bulk from the arm. It also is one of the most comfortable chairs I make.
This chair is set up for general use. The back leans 12° off the seat, and the seat is tilted 3°, so the back leans 15° off the floor. The seat is 16-3/4″ above the floor, which is a good height for most sitters. Overall, the chair is 38-1/2″ tall and there is 19″ between the arms.
Like all my chairs, the joints are assembled with hide glue and oak wedges, so the joints are strong but can be easily repaired by future generations. The bog oak is finished with a home-cooked linseed oil/wax finish that has no poisonous solvents. The finish offers low protection, but it is easy to reapply as needed (with no special skills or tools) by the owner.
Purchasing the Chair
This chair is being sold via silent auction. (I’m sorry but the chair cannot be shipped outside the U.S.) If you wish to buy the chair, send an email to lapdrawing@lostartpress.com before 3 p.m. (Eastern) on Tuesday, Jan. 17. In the email please use the subject line “Chair Sale” and include your:
- First name and last name
- U.S. shipping address
- Daytime phone number (this is for the trucking quote only)
- Your bid (don’t forget this…)
Shipping options: You are welcome to pick up the chair here in Covington, Ky., and also get a free yardstick and pencil. I am happy to deliver the chair personally for free within 100 miles of Cincinnati, Ohio. Or we can ship it to you via LTL. The cost varies (especially these days), but it is usually between $200 and $500.
One last note: I bought about half of this bog oak boule with a friend (hi, Andy!). I estimate I have enough wood for about five or six more bog oak stick chairs. So there will be more in the future. However, I cannot say exactly when. The wood is quite difficult to work, so I have to space these chairs out a bit to give myself a break.
However, I will say that the extra effort is worth it. I wish I could afford to keep one of these chairs for myself. The wood is stunning.
— Christopher Schwarz
Just… Gorgeous, Chris. I wish I could afford it, too! 😍
On a slightly more prosaic note, is the design for this version available in your templates package? Or do you envision providing them? I am smitten… Thanks!
Kind of….
It’s the same seat shape as the comb-backs in the Stick Chair Book (and template package).
For the comb, arm and seat, it uses the stick spacing from the “Comb-back With Bent Armbow” from the “Stick Chair Book” (but I skip a stick between the back sticks and side sticks)
The arm is the same shape as the “Six-stick Comb-Back” from the same book. But the arm is four pieces (like in the Stick Chair Journal).
So you can tweak your templates to make it.
That is simply gorgeous, Chris. I love all your chairs, but this one is something special.
Couldn’t help but bid. Fingers crossed!
Hi Chris, can you share how much this chair has gone for?
Sorry but I can’t. That’s the silent part of the silent auction.