Made You Look: Irish Chair Maker John Surlis
An episode from a Irish docuseries called "Hands" shows Surlis make a stick chair from an ash log.
This documentary was filmed in 1980:
-This video doesn’t allow embedding, so you’ll have to click over to the YouTube link to watch it.
“Hands” was a series filmed in Ireland between 1978 and 1989, intended to document and preserve Irish Craft. John Surlis is a third generation woodworker making stick chairs using the “slab and stick method”. Sitting on his “Coopers Mare” (what we would call a shave horse) he effortlessly shapes the spindles of the chair using a draw knife. While the whole video is worth the watch, I have to note this is definitely the first time I’ve seen someone actively woodwork in business attire.
-Made You Look are videos that we’ve found on the web that we thought were worth sharing with our audience. Let us know if you find anything you think is worth a look in the comments below!
Comments
Interesting. Having done a few chairs and stools with hand tools and draw horse, I can relate to his craft. I do cut the slots for the wedges before driving in the legs however. I built a few stools during Covid isolation, very relaxing, used 2 x 8's from a box store, had to glue up for the seats. We lost our 200 year old ash trees two years ago. And I always wear a tie in the shop, especially around the lathe!! Thanks for the article. Tom
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