In their efforts to make chairmaking more accessible, Alexander Brothers in Virginia now offers steambent arms and armbows that will work with all the armchairs in “The Stick Chair Book” (a free download) and the Hobbit chair in The Stick Chair Journal No. 2.
You can get the bent components in red oak or cherry. And you can buy them individually or as a set. I recently purchased a couple armbows from them (at full retail, natch), and their work is as good as I could do. Read more and purchase the parts here.
Note: We do not get any royalty or compensation or consideration from Alexander Brothers. Like them, we are just trying to remove the barriers to chairmaking.
So if you have a big old comb-back chair on your wish list, but you don’t have a steambox, your work just got a lot easier.
Thanks here to Shea and all the people at Alexander Brothers. Good people.
— Christopher Schwarz
One of the chair designs that uses this armbow and comb.
To mark the release of the revised edition of “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest,” we asked the artists at SKT Ceramics in Cincinnati to design a large porcelain coffee mug in the company’s signature green-blue celadon glaze.
We are offering 100 of these handmade 12-ounce mugs. Each is stamped on the underside by SKT and signed by me. The mugs are about 4″ tall and 3-1/2″ in diameter at the rim. They are made with lead-free glaze and are both dishwasher and microwave safe.
The mug-making process began with Susannah Tisue – the founder of SKT Ceramics – visiting our workshop to photograph the chest and discuss what was important to see. Susannah then made several sketches to see what looked best.
The final design was silkscreened onto rice paper, then applied to the handmade porcelain. It was then fired, waxed, glazed and sanded over a period of a couple weeks to produce the finished mugs. Each one is a little different, and they have that familiar feel – that someone made this by hand.
We’ll have them up for sale sometime this week, $44 plus shipping.
Kale, Katherine and I shot the video above, documenting the process of making the mugs.
To make room for a revised edition, we’re selling the last 500 copies of this book at a significant discount.
If you’ve ever wanted to make your own chairs, “The Stick Chair Book” shows you how to do it with bench tools you probably already own. You don’t need to be an expert woodworker – anyone can make a chair. And the book has complete plans for five comfortable chairs.
Like all our books, “The Stick Chair Book” is made in the USA with a library-grade binding. And at $27, these are selling fast.
I built this lowback for the third edition of “The Stick Chair Book” (coming out this year). This chair reflects all the design changes I’ve made to the form during the last five years. But the one thing I didn’t change is its seating geometry.
The lowback chair (and my two Irish chairs) are the most comfortable chairs I make. This one is ideal for keyboarding or dining, with a wide sweeping back that supports your lower back without intruding on it.
The chair is made out of red elm, assembled with animal glue (that we make) and finished with soft wax (which we also make).
If you’re curious how this chair is different than the one in “The Stick Chair Book,” here are the major changes. The seat is thinner with a steeper (45°) underbevel. The arm is narrower (1-7/8″) without sacrificing any back support. The hands are an old shape that I now prefer and a bit longer. The undercarriage uses octagonal components, which are lighter and just as strong.
One new detail to this particular chair is that I have left the leg tenons and their wedges just a wee bit proud. This makes them a bit stronger and looks nice. I have been trying to get this effect for several months now, and I finally nailed it.
Details: The chair has a seat height of 17″ at the front and drops about 3/4″ to the rear (I am happy to lower this chair for shorter customers). The chair is 27″ high overall. The soft wax finish is non toxic (so your toddlers can suck on the stretchers). It has a mellow sheen and lasts for many years if treated kindly. But if you ever damage the finish, it can be easily repaired by applying more soft wax.
How to Buy the Chair
I’m selling this chair via a silent auction. The final hammer price includes shipping and crating to anywhere in the lower 48. If you wish to buy the chair, send an email to lapdrawing@lostartpress.com before 3 p.m. (Eastern) on Monday, September 8. Please use the subject line: “elm chair.” In the email please include your:
Your bid (opening bid is $600)
U.S. shipping address
Daytime phone number (this is for the trucking quote only)
If you are the highest bidder the chair will be shipped to your door. The price includes the crate and all shipping charges. There are no auction fees or additional charges. Alternatively, the chair can be picked up at our storefront. (I’m sorry but the chair cannot be shipped outside the U.S.)
South Arts, a nonprofit regional arts organization that supports artists and organizations, is now accepting applications for its FY26 Emerging Traditional Artists Program (ETAP).
“This program recognizes and supports a new generation of traditional artists that have demonstrated a high level of skill in, commitment to, and leadership in their traditional art form. Artists must reside in anAppalachian Regional Commission-designated County in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee. Awards provide financial support to ETAP participants to ensure the continuation of traditional knowledge and artistic skills within their cultural communities.”
ETAP artists receive $5,000, and participate in workshops to further their education and opportunities.
ETAP “advances the purpose of the In These Mountains initiative to ‘provide intergenerational opportunities to share, teach, learn, preserve, document, and carry forward the folk and traditional arts and culture of Central Appalachia.’”’ For emerging traditional artists who have demonstrated a commitment to their artform and community and exhibit a high skill level, this award will provide resources for learning opportunities that would otherwise be inaccessible.
