The Irish Gibson chair is one of the most comfortable and sturdy stick chairs ever built. With its dramatically raked back and angled sticks, the chair commands attention in a room. And thanks to its geometry, the chair is remarkably comfortable to sit in for long periods of time.

These chairs were sometimes called “kitchen chairs” in Ireland because they were used for eating with your dinner on your lap. Despite the radical geometry of the back, the sitter remains fairly upright. But if you want to take a nap, you simply recline into its backrest.

Compared to other vernacular chairs, the Gibson is one of the most accessible forms for beginning chairmakers. The seat is unsaddled – like almost all Irish chairs – and there are no stretchers below the seat.

In this class, we will make a Gibson based on several examples that I studied and measured in the Republic of Ireland. While the form is traditional, some of the techniques will be slightly modern. While the legs and sticks of the Gibson were almost certainly split out and shaved with a drawknife, we will use handplanes, plus wood that has been sawn to be dead-straight.

While the Gibson is an ideal form for a first-time chairmaker, it does require intermediate woodworking skills, plus some muscle and stamina. Students should be very comfortable with edge tools and be able to sharpen and maintain them. You will need to be adept with a cordless drill. And be prepared for hours of shaving while on your feet (we have wooden floors here, FYI).

This class requires long hours and will make you tired (but happy at the end of the day). Because of the nature of this class, we bring in lunch every day for students. Plus, all materials (wood, glue etc.) are included in the cost of the class. So the price is higher than a typical week-long class.

Cost: $1,800 (price includes all materials and lunch every day). Cancellations will be accepted up until four weeks before the class for a full refund. If a cancellation occurs within four weeks prior to the class date, a refund will be issued only if the spot can be filled.

For information on Covington, including where to stay and where to eat, click here.

A tool list will be sent to students from the instructor.