Ted. We were
recently invited to tour Brian Boggs Chairmakers in Asheville as the guests of one of their employees; a woman named LA whom Judy has known for years.
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| LA and Judy in the showroom |
It was a real eye opener to see that traditional handmade craftsmanship still exists in the 21st century. In this shop, we witnessed works of art being hand crafted using many techniques that are hundreds of years old.
Brian began making simple ladder
back chairs many years ago in Berea, Kentucky. He now employs a number of skilled
artisans in a workshop located in the River Arts District of Asheville.
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| Brian's first chair |
They begin with sustainably
harvested hardwood slabs; walnut, maple, cherry and others.
Using traditional tools (no robots here!), many of which are over 50 years old, they turn, shape and bend carefully selected pieces of wood to fit the images created in Brian's mind. While they are best known for their chairs, they also produce tables and custom pieces of furniture.
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| Pieces of wood are steamed before bending |
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| An ancient lathe still has plenty of life in it |
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| A Cio Rocker |
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