Lost Art Press

For Sale: Bog Oak Comb-Back Chair

Posted on by Lost Art Press

I have just finished this seven-stick comb-back chair, in 2,000-year-old bog oak, that is set up for dining or use as in an office. I’m offering it for sale here via silent auction. Details are below. First, some specifics on the chair.

This seven-stick chair is made from bog oak that is 2,000 years old that was excavated in Poland. The seat is 16-7/8” off the floor. The back sticks lean 9° off the seat. And the seat is pitched back about 4° off level. So this chair is nice for both dining and keyboarding. If the buyer wishes, I can trim the rear legs to increase the seat tilt. This will make the chair strike a balance between dining and relaxing.

For this chair, I pillowed the hands much like an old Welsh chair.

The chair is 39-1/4” tall. The seat is 20” wide with 19” between the arms.

All the wood is cut from one tree, but the color and texture varies throughout all the parts, which is part of the charm of this material.

All the joints are assembled with hide glue, which is easily repairable by future generations. The finish is a beeswax and linseed oil blend, which is free of toxic solvents and is also easily repairable.

The wood graduates in color from almost black to milk chocolate.

I’m selling this chair via a silent auction. To bid, send an email to lapdrawing@lostartpress.com before 3 p.m. (Eastern) on Wednesday, March 22. In the email, please use the subject line “March chair sale” and include your name, shipping address, phone number (this is used for a trucking quote only) and your bid. There is no minimum bid, and the highest bid wins. The winner will be contacted on Wednesday after the auction closes.

On shipping: You can pick up the chair at our storefront, or I will deliver it for free within 100 miles of Cincinnati. Otherwise, I can ship it via common carrier to addresses in the continental U.S. This usually costs between $200 and $300, depending on where you live.

— Christopher Schwarz

P.S. The next chair will be sold via a random drawing.

The stretchers are quite low on this chair, which adds to its stability and its old look.
The seat is one single plank. The dark front edge was close to the bark of the tree.

15 thoughts on “For Sale: Bog Oak Comb-Back Chair”

  2. I love the contrast of the wedges and pins against that bog oak. I’m assuming the pins aren’t bamboo this time?

  8. Your chairs are beautiful.

    I’ve got a question about the odd number of sticks on the back. Obviously in this particular chair, the back of the arm bow will be what interacts with your back/lumbar/whatever. But I assume having an odd number of sticks as opposed to an even number means that there’s one stick that’s right in the center where your spine would be. In this case, that’s not really that big a deal. But is it better than to have an even number of sticks on a chair with no arm bow as your spine fits in between the sticks when leaning back? Not sure if this question makes sense or not, but it seems that the consideration is important for comfort.

    P.S. I’ve been experimenting with seat saddling (the last remaining excuse I have for not having built a stick chair yet), and I think I’ve found the perfect solution based on my tool set. Too bad I missed out on the chair badges. Cheers.

    1. The short answer is that odd vs. even numbers of sticks is a red herring. We don’t dock with chairs like robots. We shift as we sit every few minutes. Plus, because of the curve of the back of the chair, the shoulder blades carry most of the contact.

      Chairs with an odd number of sticks are common. I encourage you to try for yourself.

      And good luck with your first chair!

  9. Oh my goodness, Mr. Schwarz, that’s gorgeous! Would love to know your approach to carving the little notch detail on the the hand… rests?

  10. I don’t have the $ for it, but that is a beautiful, inspiring chair. Thank you for sharing!

  11. Does ‘pillow’ mean rounded over on the sides based on what I see in the pictures or something else? When I’ve attempted rounded sides of chair arms in the past, I get it close with rasps then grab a piece of narrow sandpaper marketed for lathe work and seesaw it back and forth until my fingers give out or it looks close to smooth.

    There must be a better way…

Comments are closed.