We think that we understand what makes a good chair. Our experience in chair manufacture and distribution for over twenty three years has taught us a few of the finer points of the mechanics of chair design. Additionally we have studied the results of empirical testing from CATAS, an important research institute, evaluating the relative importance of various design features.
Well designed and crafted chairs are designed to withstand the stress of tipping back on the back two legs. This is the most common stress to which dining chairs are subjected .
In order to withstand the front-to-back tipping forces a well crafted chair will use mortise and tenon joints to join the horizontal rails to the vertical posts. Mortise and tenon construction provides 10 times more glue surface than dowels.
Quantitative testing demonstrates that a very important feature of a well crafted chair, able to last through a lifetime of use, is the use of finger-jointed corner blocks re-inforcing each corner under the seat.
These features are present in all the wooden chairs that we offer.