What is a windsor, anyway?

Check out the video below for a fast-paced overview of the exciting process of chair making. In particular, this video shares The Chairmaker’s Toolbox Founder, Aspen, making a Windsor Chair. While chairmakers often disagree about what exactly defines a Windsor chair, here are a few identifiers that most of us agree on:

• The seat divides the chair in half, i.e. the upper and lower elements both terminate at the seat

• When made by hand, much of the joinery is tapered, wedged, and extend through the seat for max strength and durability

• Made with greenwood and hand tools

• Windsor chairs often use a combination of woods – taking advantage of each for their inherent properties whether that be strength, carvability, or grain structure. The most common combo seems to be: White oak for the spindles, pine for the seat, maple for the legs or turned elements, and white oak/red oak or ash for the crest.

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