[masraum]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

One thing I didn't need was another project, but this was in the parking strip down the street; it was in 3 pieces, and from the road it just looked like a heap of slash but I knew what it was the first time I rode my bike past it. I kept thinking about it but kind of hoped someone else would pick it up and take it home. Two days later it was still there, so I gave it a closer inspection and then returned with my truck to load it up. All quarter-sawn oak, and except for a delaminating veneer on the chair back (apparently it was common to veneer solid bentwood to achieve a better grain back in the glory days of furniture manufacturing) it's in remarkably good shape. The hardware is all there and functional, no splits need gluing, the parts bolted back together easily and firmly. just a lot of sanding, bleaching and refinishing to make a nice piece of furniture. I doubt it will be worth much, there's really no market anymore for antiques and vintage furniture. I found some matching side chairs online, so it looks like it's maybe 75 years old. There's label from the same NC factory as these two chairs.

I've reassembled it (dry) and done about an hours worth of sanding (hours to go) but I think I like the shape of it, and it may end up being a keeper.




http://www.chairish.com/product/24271520/1950s-vintage-high-point-bending-chair-co-walnut-library-bankers-chairs-set-of-6

Very cool! Kind of like a cross between the "high point bending chair" in the screenshot (4 separate fixed legs) and a "banker's chair" (swivel with casters). That's actually what I want as a desk chair. I may hate it once I get it, but they look like the could be comfortable (maybe a pad for the seat would be in order), and the style would go better with/in our old home than a modern desk chair like an Aeron or one of the chairs that looks like the seat out of a race car.

I'd have one by now, because they do come up on FBMP from time to time, but when they come up, they are always 1-2hr drive away which is not something I'm likely to do unless I'm already headed that way and it looks like it's in good shape and/or a decent price.