Vernacular Carver Chair

There is a great tradition in the United Kingdom of country chair making. Historically different regions had their own stylistic variations. This “spindle back” is from the North West of England. Spindlebacks were made in this area from around 1800. The spindle back design is thought to have originated in the area’s industrial roots –the spinning industry (for more information read The English Regional Chair by Bernard Cotton (Antique Collectors Club 1990)).

There were two breaks in the left arm structure of this carver – one in the leg and one in the arm near the joint at the back. Looking closely I could see that it was an old break but the original repair had not been strong enough to withstand much use. To enable the chair to re-enter active service I inserted a new section at the top of the leg and a steel rod inside the leg to hold it all together. I re-made the joint at the rear of the arm into the chair upright with new wood whilst keeping the original wood on the arm’s top surface.

Carver chair with left arm completely broken off
The left arm completely broken off
Two new sections are glued into the arm and front upright
Clamping the repair whilst the glue sets
The fully repaired and finished chair
The chair after the repairs have been shaped and coloured
Detail of the repair on the front left upright
The repair to the upright

Services Rendered

  • Cabinet work
  • Colour Matching
  • Structural Repair
  • Traditional finishing