Chair Stories

My Papa’s Coffin

My kind, sweet, gentle papa passed on May 1st. It was both expected and unexpected, the best possible passing and the saddest day of my life. My wife Morgan, my mother, and I were all there, holding his hand. Driving down to my parent's house that morning, I decided I...

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40 Chairs and a Barrel

I have just returned from a road trip to Michigan with my friend Bill Anderson.  The trip had a dual focus: deliver 40 chairs and learn to make a barrel. This by far the largest chair order I've ever gotten. What fun! I'd take another job like this tomorrow -...

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Quaker John

This is a story for John and his family. It's also for Scott, who's Comb Back Arm Chair and Windsor Table were delivered last month. I wrote the story in the middle of January, when it happened: John Braxton died a couple weeks ago. A Quaker gunsmith, he machined...

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Growing a Loop Back Arm Chair

As most of you know, I'm at Curtis Buchanan's designing a Loop Back Arm chair. On the second day we had a visitor from NC, Reid Gamble who has been apprenticing with laddarback chairmaker Lyle Wheeler. First we bored for the bent stretcher. Curtis had to climb...

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Curtis, Eric and I

I am spending the next few days visiting with Curtis and Marilyn Buchanan. Eric Cannizzaro is here too. During the day we're working an a new loop back arm chair design for which Curtis hopes to publish a set of plans. At night, we are eating Marilyn's good food and...

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A Cold Sunday Night

Yesterday, my father-in-law and I delivered a set of five chairs for Josh and his wife's new house.  We met at a horse park and transferred the blanket-wrapped chairs into Josh's car.  As I wrapped the chairs last week, I remembered this story: It was a...

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Kind Roy

I still remember the excitement I felt. I was 16 years old, returning home from a week’s camping trip. My mother's first words were, “Roy Underhill called!” We couldn’t believe it. Weeks before, my mother had found his number on the internet and left a message seeking...

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Chair Stories: A Tree Crew

This afternoon Edward picked up a set of four custom walnut and oak swivel bar stools that his wife Phyllis had helped design. Here’s a story about their chairs: Note: Nobody was hurt in this story. Other than a plastic compost bin. “I recommend this tree crew to all...

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Chair Stories: My Friend, The Bluesman

The phone rings.  I put down my red chair-order book, lean forward in my chair, lift the receiver.   “John Dee died last night.” What do you say when a 92 year old man dies?  I mumble that I am sorry. But what am I sorry about?  We hang up and I go...

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