This is the final post in a three-post series featuring images from a carousel of Don Weber’s slides, which he found while working with us on a profile for The Stick Chair Journal No. 4. This post features images of chairs and a wonderful series of photos from a Country Workshops chairmaking class, taught by Don Weber with Drew Langsner in attendance. Some have captions from Don (in quotes), some have captions from us, many have no captions at all.
Enjoy!
This is the second post in a three-post series featuring images from a carousel of Don Weber’s slides, which he found while working with us on a profile for The Stick Chair Journal No. 4. These images show chairmakers, Don’s journey to the Wycombe woodlands, Don’s pole lathe and his Welsh left-handed writing chair. Captions from Don are in quotes.
Enjoy!
— Kara Gebhart Uhl
While working on Don Weber’s profile for The Stick Chair Journal No. 4, Don told me that he had a carousel of slides that might of interest. These were images he used during a talk he gave with Michael Dunbar, and, he believes, Jennie Alexander, at a chair symposium at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library.
Don has always enjoyed reading and is well known for his extensive collection of books on the craft, including many rare and first-edition books. Many of those books were lost in a 2010 flood that sent four-and-a-half feet of water, mud and oil (there was an auto repair shop across the street) into Don’s shop. He tried to salvage what he could. Many of the images on these slides were pulled from those now-lost books.
We pored over these images and thought you might like to as well. Some have captions from Don (in quotes), some have captions from us, some have no captions at all.
Enjoy!
— Kara Gebhart Uhl
I’m exhibiting two stick chairs at the “No Coast Furniture Salone” that runs from Friday, April 17, through Sunday, May 3, in an exhibit space at 1800 Race Street in Cincinnati, Ohio.
I’m showing two stick chairs in black cherry that are based on the 18th-century Bebb chair from Wales (one of the key chairs in my design language). The chairs will be for sale, and I am selling them at a friendly Cincinnati price. (If they don’t sell, I’ll put them up for sale here on the blog.)
The show features furniture from students at University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP), plus independent designers (that’s me!) and regional brands.
The show opens this Friday, April 17, from 6 to 10 p.m. with beverages from Northern Row Brewery. I’ll be there on Friday – hopefully with a few other Lost Art Press employees. I always love furniture shows. There is no better way to see where you stack up in terms of technical skills and your eye.
I always find them both humbling and inspiring.
— Christopher Schwarz
Today we offer two comfortable stick chairs for sale that Kale and I recently finished. As always, the price includes crating and shipping anywhere in the lower 48 states. Here are the details.
The Bebb Chair, a Welsh Comb-back in Olive Ash
This chair is my interpretation of one of my favorite Welsh stick chairs. I first saw the chair in Richard Bebb’s booklet “Welsh Country Furniture,” and the chair kicked off a personal design cycle that has yet to subside.
My version is as close to the original as possible in form, except for the seat. The original was unsaddled. My version has a saddle that looks good and adds some comfort.
The chair is compact and comfortable, with arms that are 10-1/4” above the seat and a low comb that supports the sitter’s shoulders. The seat height is 15-5/8”, with the chair’s overall height at 37-1/2”.
The entire chair is made from one board of extraordinary quartersawn olive ash. All the joints are assembled with animal glue, so the chair can be repaired in the far future. And the chair is finished in soft wax, a non-toxic finish that can easily be repaired by simply applying more soft wax. It is a low-lustre finish that allows the texture of the ash to radiate.
All the surfaces are finished with edge tools. The legs and sticks are shaved with planes and shaves, leaving a faceted surface that looks and feels nice.
This chair is ideal for lounging by the fire. The back isn’t tilted much, as per the original, but the seat’s tilt encourages the sitter to relax against the comb.
I’m selling this chair for $1,900, and that price includes crating and trucking. For details on purchasing the chair, see the end of the entry.
— Christopher Schwarz
Chapel Lane Irish Chair in Elm, Sycamore and Pigmented Oil
This chair was built alongside Rex Krueger, James Wright and Eoin Reardon a number of weeks ago when Lost Art Press hosted a chairmaking extravaganza. “Chapel Hill” refers to the name of the antique dealer who owned the original chair this form is inspired from.
With a significant tilt, this chair is destined for lounging. The seat sits 15-1/2″ above the ground, and the arms rest 10″ above the seat. At a 31-1/2″ total height and a seat width of just under 20″, this chair cradles your back just below the shoulder blade and can fit just about anywhere.
Made mostly from elm, except for its sycamore seat, this chair holds true to its vernacular roots. Through-tenons on the comb and arms are left proud and textured. The occasional plane, or scraper mark may be found due to this chair being finished with hand tools. And just like Chris’s, this chair was also assembled with animal glue – making future repairs easy peasy.
Most exciting, this chair was my first go at using the “dirt, soot, and oil” finish, featured in the latest “The Stick Chair Journal.” Made from two parts linseed oil, one part black pigment and one part red pigment, this finish provides a depth and well-worn look that allows the grain to sing.
The legs, seat and sticks are left faceted, while the arms and comb are slightly rounded for comfort. Grab a footstool and let yourself sink in to this form.
I’m selling this chair for $1,300, which includes both crating and shipping. For more information about how to purchase, keep reading.
— Kale Vogt
How to Purchase a Chair
If you wish to buy one of these chairs, simply send an email before 3 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, March 12, to [email protected]. If you want to buy the Welsh Bebb chair, please use the subject line “Bebb Chair.” If you wish to buy the Irish chair, please use the subject line “Chapel Lane Chair.” In your email, please include your:
If your name is randomly selected, we’ll send you an email. Sorry, but we cannot ship chairs overseas.
