Extreme Craftsmanship and Quality in Every Bentwood Chair

Chivari ToughWood™ Bentwood

One piece of ashwood. Floor to crest.

Our Bentwood chairs are built by hand, one at a time, by skilled craftsmen and women. A single, continuous piece of ashwood forms the back legs, the arch, and the chair back. No joints, no seams, no shortcuts.

1

continuous piece of ashwood forms the back and rear legs

0

joints or seams in the back to loosen over time

770 lb

weight capacity, at just 7.35 lbs per chair

STEP 01

Select

We build every frame from select ashwood for its strength, flexibility, and full grain, and pair it with a beautiful elm seat. Building the back from two or three pieces would save money, but it makes a weaker chair. We won't do it.

STEP 02

Steam

Single 6-foot ashwood dowel lengths are steamed for hours in our steam unit until the fibers are soft enough to bend without breaking.

STEP 03 ★

Bend

While the wood is still hot and pliable, our craftspeople bend it by hand around a proprietary jig, shaping one single piece into the entire back and rear legs.

STEP 04

Kiln-Dry & Assemble

The bent wood is kiln-dried while held in shape, locking in the curve for good. The elm seat, front legs, and supports are then assembled by hand.

STEP 05

Finish

Each chair goes to our finishing department for stain and a clear protective coat that brings out the grain and protects it for years of use.

Seconds.

That's how long our craftspeople have to make the bend.

Understanding the bend

Timing is everything. Steaming time depends on the thickness of the wood, and once the ashwood comes out of the steam unit, our craftspeople have only seconds to work. Each piece is pulled around the jig and clamped into position immediately, then held there until it has fully cooled and set.

There's no shortcut to getting this right. It takes experienced hands to feel when the wood is ready and to bend it in one smooth motion, so the curve is consistent from chair to chair.

The result

Built for years of events

Traditional steam bending gives each Bentwood chair its strength, its longevity, and its graceful lines. It weighs just 7.35 lbs, carries a 770 lb weight capacity, and stacks for storage.

It's built for the demands of rental fleets, venues, and restaurants, and elegant enough for any table.

Made in limited quantities

Because every chair is bent, dried, and assembled by hand, our capacity is about 800 round-seat Bentwood chairs per month. If we're between production runs, we accept advance orders for delivery from our next shipment.