Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11

Thread: Fearless leader doing battle re Windsor chairs

  1. #1
    habs88 Guest

    Default Fearless leader doing battle re Windsor chairs

    http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load...471412797.html

    See is response at Sat, Mar 29, 08 at 16:44

    Found this evening. Lots of knowledge here. I thought i would post this to give people an idea of Duane's knowledge.

    -Dave

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Alexandria VA
    Posts
    15,887

    Default

    heh. He picked a topic I happen to know something about. I think the saying goes something like "never bring a knife to a gunfight"...... he brought a knife.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    274

    Default

    I don't know the background of why you stopped posting in that forum, although it's their loss. I do know that it was the amount of information you posted there which led me here.

  4. #4
    Nancy Guest

    Smile bore and wedge windsors

    I've enjoyed learning about chair construction from the Gardenweb forum link. After reading it the other day, I started scrutinizing our two cherry Windsors. I'd never appreciated those wedges locking in the bores. It amazing to see each wedge on the end of every spindle and the arms. That leads me to a question. About five years ago I purchased our two cherry bow back Windsors from greatwindsorchairs.com. Duane, can you tell me which chair maker might have made these? Or, were they made in greatwindsors shop? I also took a look at a walnut ladder back armchair I purchased on Ebay a few years ago. The front legs fit with a bores and wedges into the arms. Its a sturdy chair with nice turnings. I'm thinking it might be an English piece.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Alexandria VA
    Posts
    15,887

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by aaron View Post
    I don't know the background of why you stopped posting in that forum, although it's their loss. I do know that it was the amount of information you posted there which led me here.
    HA! They kept throwing me off the forum! I was banned three times from Gardenweb, for being "too commercial" in my posts. Finally I got tired of asking them to put me back on and the last banishment was in June 2008 I think, so I just stayed off and started my own forum. They have a very strict no-commercial policy (which is unenforced until someone writes in a complaint) and with the volume of posts I was making back in the day it was difficult to stay totally non-commercial.

    It wasn't easy for me to set up this v.bulletin forum, I'm not a computer tech guy. Spent many evening hours trying to do it without making a mess of things - and now I'm terrified to tweak it much (such as changing colors, etc), because I don't want to blow it up! I'm told I should run Google ads on it, but its kind of nice to have it plain and simple.....and not fuss with it too much. It works....and runs fairly fast, I'm happy with it.

    Knowledge is Power. I try to help folks learn so they can make good buying decisions. I think I bug all my suppliers relentlessly for answers to questions asked here that I don't have a ready answer on. Makes then crazy sometimes.

    The furniture industry does a terrible job of educating its consumers (along with the clothing industry) and I think that's a shame. The furniture industry points to things and says "ITS ON SALE, 50% OFF" and that's the way they 'educate'. I get a big kick out of forum members who tell me they went into their local store and taught the salesperson there about leather types and proper way to clean them, or something along those lines. That makes it all worthwhile to hear those stories. Great fun for me.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Alexandria VA
    Posts
    15,887

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Nancy View Post
    I've enjoyed learning about chair construction from the Gardenweb forum link. After reading it the other day, I started scrutinizing our two cherry Windsors. I'd never appreciated those wedges locking in the bores. It amazing to see each wedge on the end of every spindle and the arms. That leads me to a question. About five years ago I purchased our two cherry bow back Windsors from greatwindsorchairs.com. Duane, can you tell me which chair maker might have made these? Or, were they made in greatwindsors shop? I also took a look at a walnut ladder back armchair I purchased on Ebay a few years ago. The front legs fit with a bores and wedges into the arms. Its a sturdy chair with nice turnings. I'm thinking it might be an English piece.
    Believe it or not, I know more about Windsor Chairs than I do leather (but at the current rate I'm getting pretty smart on leather). The American Windsor, when properly made, is the strongest wooden chair ever made. You have to like that.....I can go on and on about them, and will in a later post, because its fun and I've sold them or recreated them for many museums and the film industry, and collectors, etc.

    Greatwindsorchairs.com is run by "Red" and his sons. He's changed suppliers many times over the years, for a variety of reasons. At one time I believed he carried Warren Chair Works and also Lawrence Crouse, but no more. Last time I was in his store, 2 years ago, he had a local PA operation making them for him, and I was not particularly impressed with the style or quality of them. Certainly they were not at the level of WCW or Crouse.

    Post a photo of yours here on the forum and I might can identify it (head on shot, and one from the side, please).
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  7. #7
    Nancy Guest

    Default Sack-back windsor chair pics

    Post a photo of yours here on the forum and I might can identify it (head on shot, and one from the side, please).[/QUOTE]

    Duane, here are three pictures of the cherry sack-back windsor chair purchased about five years ago from greatwindsor. I'd enjoy knowing if you can identify the maker.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_4791_1.JPG 
Views:	341 
Size:	64.4 KB 
ID:	443   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_4792_1.JPG 
Views:	333 
Size:	64.5 KB 
ID:	444   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_4793_1.JPG 
Views:	381 
Size:	70.7 KB 
ID:	445  

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Alexandria VA
    Posts
    15,887

    Default

    Hi Nancy.

    That's the later series chair that GWC is offering, and I do not know the maker, however I have heard they are located in Southern PA. This is a more typical production shop chair and though its good it has bore and wedge construction, its missing many design elements and shows its machine-made nature.

    If you don't mind me critiquing it, here's where that chair fails in execution:

    * Turnings are not bold enough. They're small and unimaginative. Good turnings have more defined points on them.

    * The "fiddle arm", the part where you hand rests on the chair is rounded over and soft-edged. The form should be more aggressive and bold, often with sharper points on the details.

    * The bow joinery is terrible, where the bow comes into the horizontal arm. There should not be that noticeable 'Coke Bottle" effect that you see in the detail photo where the two pieces come together.

    * Chair seat looks to have five boards in it. What you really would like to have is ideally a single board seat, or 2-boards.

    * The overall design of the chair is not correct with the better replicas. Notice how the chair arm seems to be pitched back, or wants to 'reach for the sky'? That arm should be on a nearly flat horizontal plane, rather than behing pitched up at 5 or more degrees. The seat should be more aggressively shaped as well, it has too much a 'plank' look to it, and the back bow is too straight before it joins - should have more curve to it.

    Here's the style that you really want your chair to follow. There are a number of chair makers that do follow the correct lines, this are just two of them.

    http://www.warrenchairworks.com/wind.../boston_chairs

    http://www.lawrencecrouse.com/PSackBackChair.html



    *
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  9. #9
    Nancy Guest

    Smile see what you mean

    Duane, Wow, thank you. I look at the greatwindsor chair now and see all the differences you've pointed out. It's unlike the Warren and Crouse chairs which are so pleasing to the eye in form. I can only imagine they are more comfortable too. This education saves me heartache when we eventually upgrade our dining chairs to Windsor chairs.

  10. #10
    habs88 Guest

    Default

    We are looking at these for dining room set.
    http://www.jltreharn.com/proddetail.php?prod=WSC814

    We are seriously considering a furniture purchase this fall that will either be leather chair and ottoman or dining set. Of course i want the chair to watch football and hockey, but my wife sure would like a nice table and chairs for the dining room.

    Lots of decisions and research to do when spending this much on furniture. Stressful and fun.

Similar Threads

  1. Windsor Chair Resources (website)
    By harland in forum Wood Case Goods, and Chairs
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 08-09-2010, 01:31 AM
  2. Windsor Chairs
    By Nancy in forum Wood Case Goods, and Chairs
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 04-29-2010, 11:29 PM
  3. Boo Hoo! No H&M chairs in AZ
    By 2true in forum Customer Reviews & Shipping Information
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 01-01-2009, 10:47 PM
  4. I need Chairs!
    By Maureen in forum Leather Upholstery
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 11-18-2008, 01:44 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •