The making of a ‘Wishbone’ chair

[Advertisement – this post is based on a press trip, but all words and opinions are my own]

Today I’m sharing the second part of last month’s trip to Denmark with Carl Hansen & Søn. After a wonderful day in Copenhagen exploring the legacy of architect Vilhelm Lauritzen, we travelled on to the island of Funen for a behind-the-scenes tour of Carl Hansen’s factory. I’ve always been interested in the skills, materials and techniques behind beautiful design, and it’s somewhere I’ve wanted to visit for as long as I’ve been collaborating with the company. I certainly wasn’t disappointed!

Carl Hansen & Søn began life in 1908 when cabinetmaker Carl Hansen opened a small furniture workshop in the city of Odense. The business gradually expanded over the decades that followed, gaining a reputation for well-made, functional and long-lasting pieces. But things really took off in 1949 when his son Holger, by then in charge, started working with Danish Modernist Hans J. Wegner – a partnership that would go on to produce some of the most iconic designs to come out of Scandinavia. Now based in the town of Gelsted and run by Carl’s grandson Knud Erik, the firm employs hundreds of people and has invested heavily in modern technology. Nevertheless, the emphasis on traditional craftsmanship remains.

As an illustration, we were shown how Carl Hansen & Søn makes one of its most famous pieces, the CH24 ‘Wishbone’ chair, following the entire process from start to finish. The very first model that Wegner designed for the company, the ‘Wishbone’ has been in continuous production for more than 70 years and is still largely crafted by hand using the same methods as when it was first introduced in 1950. It was fascinating to see what goes into creating a piece that I own and love myself, and it only served to reinforce my long-held belief that it’s always worth choosing authentic design over cheap replicas.

There are more than 100 steps required in total, starting with the chiselling, carving and shaping of the 14 individual components. Importantly, the upper rail that forms the chair’s back and arm rests is made from one solid piece of timber that’s steam-bent into a curve, whereas imitation ‘Wishbones’ often have visible joins along this section.

The various components are then assembled, before every chair frame is carefully checked, finessed, sanded and finished by hand.

The next step is the seat. It’s hand-woven from 120m of paper cord – a highly durable and completely biodegradable material with a lifespan of around 50 years. Each chair takes a skilled craftsperson about an hour to do, and the result is a taut, uniform pattern with near-perfect 90-degree angles coming in from each corner. Fake chairs, by contrast, normally have loose or bumpy weaving and are made from synthetic nylon.

I actually got to have a go at this part myself and really enjoyed it, although I can vouch for the precision, concentration and physical strength involved. I’d like to think that someone, somewhere, will now get a ‘Wishbone’ that I had a small part in, but what I suspect really happened is that my amateur efforts were pulled back and redone as soon as I left!

Of course some special-edition CH24 chairs come with leather seats and we got to have a peek at the making of those, too. The hides used come from locations such as northern Sweden, where there’s no barbed wire for the cattle to snag themselves on, but every one is carefully checked for quality and any defects marked with a special pen. A snazzy computerised machine then ‘reads’ the marks and works out how to cut around them, while getting as many seats as possible from each hide – a very clever process that significantly reduces wastage. Finally, the leather is backed with linen to strengthen it, and attached by hand to the wooden frame.

So there you have it: the making of a ‘Wishbone’. It was a treat to witness, and I came away with an even deeper appreciation for the dedication and passion involved in bringing timeless design to life. I can fully understand why this chair has become such a classic, and why it will carry on being cherished by generations to come.

Top image courtesy of Carl Hansen & Søn; all other photography by Abi Dare