2020 Chair Weaving Census

2020 Chair Weaving Census

Big News! A Research Project on Chair Caning and Seat Weaving in the US People constantly tell me chair caning is a “lost” or “dying” art, but the truth is, it is everywhere right now…and has been around for at least 4,000 years. I think chair caning and seat weaving is kind of the Rodney […]

Chair Nerd Profile: Randy Ogle

Chair Nerd Profile: Randy Ogle

Oh the joys of stumbling upon a Chair Shop on your first day in a new city! Dave and I were ready to get out of town last summer so we arrived at Arrowmont as soon as we possibly could to explore a little bit before the class. We unpacked in our cozy rooms and […]

Processing Authentic Bark at Brian Boggs Chairmakers

Processing Authentic Bark at Brian Boggs Chairmakers

Why is authentic bark so much more expensive than manufactured reed? The Short Answer: Authentic bark is time consuming, back breaking, and potentially hand mangling work. Reed comes from China, and as we all know, that means you don’t pay the real value of the product, the fossil fuel it takes to get here, etc….but […]

US Chair Caning Tour

Dave and I recently launched our US Chair Caning Tour with a trip to The Island Farm in Manteo, NC.  We were hired by the Outer Banks Conservationists to repair a few really old chairs that reside in a living history house dating from 1847.  They were generous enough to give us a free place […]

Cane-spotting! The Inaugural Luncheon.

In the early days of my chair caning business, I came up with a cheer: GO CHAIR REPAIR! And a jingle: Chair repair, chair repair, doot doot doot doot doot chair repair. (If you’re trying to sing it yourself, the melody goes up the first 3 syllables, down the second 3 syllables, and the last […]