I buy and process at least 900 board feet of red oak each year for chairmaking and chair classes. When chosen and cut with care, red oak can look much better than the ugly 1980s kitchen cabinets it is associated with. But before you embrace this inexpensive and plentiful wood, here’s a quick lesson on…
Read moreWe are awaiting a revised edition of “The Stick Chair Book,” which should arrive in early September. So we are closing out the remaining copies of the first edition of this book for $24 each (it was $51). The forthcoming revised edition is about 10 percent smaller. It has the exact same content as the…
Read moreI am almost out of bog oak. If I’m lucky, I’ll get two more chairs after this one from the stock I purchased with my friend Andy Brownell. This seven-stick-comb-back is set up as an armchair – perfect for relaxing by the fire. Here are some statistics: The seat tilts back 4°, and the back…
Read moreThe Irish Gibson chair is a feat of ingenuity, simplicity and geometry. Its radical angles and spare construction suggest it is an odd place to sit. But everyone who has sat in one will tell you this: It is remarkably comfortable. I first encountered Gibson chairs through my research on vernacular furniture. And I wondered…
Read moreEditor’s note: Here’s the backstory for “A Visitor Comes to Covington: A Fairy Tale,” a delightful handmade book that Suzanne sent me in March. I have made a video reading of the book you can watch here. Enough of my yakking. Here’s Suzanne: Back in January, I sent a New Year’s card to Chris and…
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