Bl Working

The Real Ladderback Prototype

Its actually astonishing to me how much time and effort it takes to get a (sort of) new chair design into the production mode ... I have made more than a thousand chairs, probably more like 1500, over the last 30 years and if theyre not Windsors (one of my bread and butter items starting out) theyre not easy. Ive said it before and Ill say it again ... Chairs are sculptures. They have to be comfortable, they have to stay together over time, people have to be able to lean back in them, stand on them, throw them .... the whole deal ... Anyway ... This is I think the 4th edition of this new design and its the real thing ... Were pleased with it .. its light, its comfortable, its relatively straightforward to build and it passes the looks good from all directions test. Click the pictures to enlarge them ... I really need to put it at a table rather than up on a workbench ...

Hopefully Ill get some finish on it this weekend and get it to New York City

The black one is one of my first square chairs from the late 80s..definitely not a comfortable as the new ladderback

rear silhouette

side view

comparison view

We did a little work on the ladderback prototype (see previous post) at the very end of the day today ... made four rough new smaller, thinner spindles and we think they can be just a shade more delicate yet ... The prototype is definitely more comfortable with the splats closer together ... Were considering lowering the whole chair back from 40" where it is now to maybe 38.5", taller than the "windsor" metal chair at 36.5". Lowering all four as a group will make the negative space between the top of the seat and the bottom of the bottom slat just a bit less empty looking ... Its just a thought and well await client input. Ill photograph it this weekend at a table too ... One of us actually likes the tallness of it.... Well see ... happy halloween .. !!