Making chairs has always been one of the
supreme tests of a woodworker’s skill.
In days gone by, chairmaking was a collaborative
effort that brought together the wagon seat
maker, the wheel maker, the cooper, the
cabinet maker, and other craftsmen in the
community, each of whom lent a particular
skill to the craft.
We continue that tradition of collaborative
craftsmanship today. Several individual
craftsmen work on every chair during its
assembly, each bringing to the piece his
or her own unique skill and expertise. Through
this collaborative process, we are able
to create a final product that melds the
work of many skilled hands into one whole.
Because we believe that making chairs
is an art to be savored, we use the time-honored
techniques of old-world, solid wood joinery—a
craft that is increasingly rare in today’s
fast-paced world. No metal screws or nails
are used in the construction of our chairs.
Every chair is made by hand out of solid
wood, creating a remarkable blend of strength
and style.
At the heart of all our Arm Chairs, Office
Chairs and Rocking Chairs is the trademark
W.A. Mitchell chair—a unique design
developed by our founder Arthur Mitchell
to create a signature chair that would provide
elegance, comfort and lasting durability.
The Mitchell chair design draws its inspiration
from two styles that are deeply rooted in
our country’s history: the Windsor
design tradition of England, and the classic
American Shaker design.
From
the Windsor design, we borrow a sturdy focus
on the strength of the back and seat. In
the Windsor chair, the seat supports the
back and arms of the chair through spindles
that are firmly planted into the seat and
locked top and bottom with wooden pins.
This transfers lateral and downward pressure
from the back and arms of the chair into
the seat, where it is absorbed and distributed
to give the chair remarkable strength and
stability.
The simple, clean lines and ergonomic design
of the Mitchell chair are derived from the
well-known Shaker style. Drawing on the
Shaker tradition, the chair features a graceful,
bowed crest that emphasizes the beauty of
the wood and accommodates the back and shoulders.
The arms are flat on top to provide a functional
resting place, and curved to accommodate
personal space. And under the seat, the
wooden braces that reinforce the legs are
carved to fit the contour of the leg, and
to blend the seat and legs together.
Our chairs start with the wood: we use
only selectively harvested American Black
Cherry and Hard Rock White Maple hardwoods—distinctive
American hardwoods that combine exceptional
luster and strength. Each chair acquires
its own “personality” over time:
As the chair ages, the rich Cherry develops
a deep reddish brown patina, while the clear
Maple lends a naturally warm tone that deepens
through the years.
Once the initial Cherry and Maple parts
have been crafted to ensure exact fit, the
craftsman begins his work. Precision mortise
and tenon joints are used to lock each of
the chair’s legs, arm stumps and spindles,
and king spindles into place. Next, the
back spindles of the chair are joined directly
into the seat, then locked in place with
sturdy hardwood pins.
When the final assembly is complete and
the chair has been checked and rechecked
for fit and quality, it is signed and numbered
by the craftsman. We then complete the process
by hand-finishing the chair using either
our Natural Clear finish or hand-rubbed
Black Lacquer.
We are proud to bring these time-honored
chairmaking traditions to you in our exclusively
licensed Rotary Emblem hardwood chairs.
We invite you to discover their lasting
quality for yourself…because no other
chair can equal the care and craftsmanship
of a W.A. Mitchell original.
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