I've been asked many times by customers, " Why should I invest in one of your rockers, Les?" That's a fair question! There are many chair makers in America. A few have really, really outstanding chairs. I believe mine are among the outstanding ones. Why? I've received good instruction, my life experience, I'm commited to exceptional quality and my rockers are a superior value. Let me explain:

Instruction: I've received instruction from three of the best chair builders in the nation, Sam Maloof of California, Hal Taylor of Virginia, and Robert Hensarling of Texas. Sam is a living legend and started building furniture after World War II. I have been lucky to attend several of his training and design sessions at Anderson Ranch in Snowmass, Colorado. Hal Taylor builds beautiful rocking chairs in Virginia, is an author and has taught many how to build rocking chairs. He has been a good friend and has answered many, many questions. Robert Hensarling has appeared on HGTV's Modern Masters, has been featured on Texas Country Reporter and builds mesquite rocking chairs and other furniture in Uvalde, Texas. I've attended his sessions in Uvalde. I'm also a wood turner and have attended sessions taught by David Ellsworth of Pennsylvania. I also carve wood and have been instructed by the Harold Enlow, Gene Sears, Ed Zinger and the legendary Peter Engler of Branson, Missouri.

Life Experience: I have been building stuff since I was 4 years old. I began my college training in engineering and later in life received a degree in computer science. I've worked for several major American corporations. I've had training in many ergonomic issues and have worked on many projects involving human environment issues including those surrounding seating, furniture usage, and pain problems. I understand what it takes to build a comfortable seat and lumbar support that helps the body not harm it.

Exceptional Quality: I am a one guy shop. I do not have an assembly line operation. I control the quality. I worry about the quality of the wood I use. I work hard at getting grain just right. I build good, solid, tight joints, using tried and true methods. Finally I don't take shortcuts with the finish. I apply a hand rubbed hard finish the old fashion way. A finish that will not be affected by the oils and acids of the human body.

Look at my rockers closely. Notice the rounded seat? Its built like a barrel maker or "cooper" builds barrels. Its much more difficult and time consuming to build a chair with a more comfortable, ergonomic, seat that is "coopered". Sam Maloof does this and so do I.

Superior Value: I am fortunate to live and work in the Ozark mountains of Arkansas. The cost of living is very reasonable here. Therefore my cost of construction is not as great as those living on the coasts or in the cities. There are cheaper, less expensive chairs on the market. None of these are the quality that mine possess.

So, to sum it all up, look for the following in a quality rocking chair. A clean, pleasing, ergonomic design. Good lumbar and sacral support. Look for good, tight, mortise and tenon joints. Look for joints assembled with epoxy which will never let go. One chair maker who cranks out furniture at his factory simply uses a hole drilled into the rocker and then just sticks the leg into it. As my grandpa said, "That dog'll never hunt". Look for a quality rubbed polyurethane finish not oil or lacquer. They simply won't stand up to the human body over time. Finally, look for a craftsman you can trust and will treat you well.

Construction

First I begin with the wood. I obtain the very best I can get. I have to use straight grained, solid wood in the rockers for strength and joint reliability. The need for joint reliability, sometimes keeps me from using perfectly colored wood or wood with swirling grain. It is checked for weak spots, knots and imperfections such as improper drying.

Each piece of the rocker is rough-cut and then shaped to match the other pieces in the rocker. Attention is paid to alterations at this stage. I continue to shape many of the pieces with an old fashion spokeshave and shaving horse. The seat is "coopered" and shaped by hand and sanded.

The joints are then precisely made. My joints are joined with an industrial strength epoxy. Dowels are used in the seat boards and stainless steel screws are inserted and plugged at certain stress points throughout the rocker. The epoxy and screws are overkill to be sure, but, then again, I've never had a rocker joint fail.

As I said earlier, I was lucky enough to learn how to cooper a rocker seat from Sam Maloof. Coopering refers to a technique of milling bevels into the edges of wood so that when put together they will form a barrel. using this technique in chair building allows for a curvature that will fit the body naturally and provide superior comfort without putting pressure on key nerves and muscles in the hips and legs. My seats are made from 5 boards, dowelled together and glued with epoxy, for strength.

The lumbar support is particularly important to a good ergonomic rocker. My supports are correctly shaped and do not float or bend. I want the rocker to cradle and support, the back and to provide good support not "bend" and "float". A soft backrest can be easily achieved by sitting in a cheap, overstuffed recliner. My rockers support the spine and help to keep it healthy.

Many chair makers brag loudly that they use shellac, lacquer or oils to finish rockers. I don't. That's because I believe that the only dependable modern finish is a quality, polyurethane. Any other finish can and will be attacked by the oils and amino-acids emitting from the human body. My experience upon buying other wood furniture is that oils, lacquers and especially shellac fail after a few years of use. Notice that many chair makers offer a charge for re-finishing? The real truth is that oils can be easily rubbed on and lacquer sprayed on quickly. Polyurethane can be rubbed out to a perfect gloss or sub-gloss finish which will last a very long time, but it takes much, much longer to apply properly. A standing piece of furniture such as a highboy or clock is correctly finished with oil but not a rocking chair. Sam Maloof uses oil but then follows up with a wax-polyurethane mix on his final coat. I prefer to apply the finish and then the wax.

The date, a serial number, and a brass plate get installed on the rocker before it gets shipped or delivered. Why? Hal Taylor says it best by saying that a rocker will end up in the hands of a third, fourth, or maybe even a fifth generation family. I want my rockers to become the focus of the love and history that a family heirloom provides. Family members find that the information on the rocker is a way to remember those who came before them and to honor those who wished to surround themselves and their families with a functional object of beauty.

Sizes

My rocking chairs can be altered to fit any person. However, I find I generally build three basic sizes, Small, Medium, Large. When you contact me for an order I'll make sure which if any alterations might be needed to make the perfect rocker for you or yours.

Small fits (Height) 4' 10" to 5' 3"
Medium fits (Height) 5' 4" to 5' 10"
Large fits (Height) 5' 11" to 6' 3"

Rocking Benefits & Scientific Studies Of Interest (just in case your interested)

View pictures in the gallery