How old is this low back Windsor chair?

[jacon4]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A, wormy chestnut,  which kinda confirms early 20th century on your chair.

"Wormy Chestnut is not a distinct species of Chestnut, but rather refers to American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) trees that were killed by the chestnut blight of the early 1900s, which were subsequently damaged by insects, leaving holes and discoloration in the standing trees. The trees were then subsequently harvested and converted into lumber."

http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/wormy-chestnut/

[matali]

Sounds possible however the holes on my chair look smaller than the ones on the wormy chestnut images that I googled.

Maybe I should take a closer look at the holes.
Can the holes be of some different origin (other bugs)?

I don't have a good photo of it, I just cropped one of the earlier photos in better resolution (see attached)

[jacon4]

Well, any wood/tree can be attacked by insects, worms, beetles, usually after they die and have lost their defences against attack. The insect damage is not uniform so you can't go by that. The thing about chestnut though is, within a decade or so, millions of acres of chestnut trees died which was a BONANZA for all kinds of insects.

[jacon4]

looks like wormy chestnut to me, how about other parts of chair other than seat, any insect damage? if not, indicates another species of tree for those parts which is normal for windsors

[matali]

I have to inspect the chair again, but I think that I saw only the insect damage on the seat. And there were many holes on the edges so I thought maybe someone pinned some cushion to it...

By the way - how should I check if there any insects/egs, etc?
I have never dealt with anything like that in my life and don't want to infest the house.

[jacon4]

I have never dealt with anything like that in my life and don't want to infest the house.


Yeah, good idea! Thing is, your chair is now over 100 years old so chances of worms/bugs/beetles still alive is very small, going forward though it's always a good idea to make sure issues like that are addressed before bringing pieces in the house.

[matali]

So how to check it for bugs?

[mart]

Thanks for the interesting discussion - with the new name (firehouse windsor)  I like it even more!

The chair on the picture is very similar indeed but it looks it is in better condition.
Mine is more "orange" - I am not sure if it is paint or wood.

By the way what I should do with this chair? I mean, I want to keep it but how should I take care of it?

I've also noticed some small holes/tunnels in the seat and I am worrying about termites or other insects.
What do you recommend?

Thanks again,
matali

Have you seen any tiny saw dust flakes around the holes or on the floor ??  If so you can take some Sargeants dog or cat flea and tick spray from the Dollar Store and use it as insecticide !!  The active ingredient is permethrin or pyrethrin depending on if its for a dog or cat !! Pyrethrin is used for cats and is made from chrysanthemums and is certified for organic gardens !! Permethrin is the man- made version of it !! I use it in my vegetable garden and both are safe and it takes very little of it to be effective !!

[matali]

Thanks for the hint.
I haven't seen any dust yet (but I am keeping it in the shed for now).


Apart from that is there anything I should do with the furniture itself (except dusting)?
How to take care of it?

[jacon4]

Not alot really, dust, maybe a once a year cleaning ( depending on use) with damp cloth/murphys oil soap and a light coat of good quality wax and thats it.

ENJOY YOUR CHAIR! It's a survivor.

[mart]

Once you treat it as I said above,, take it inside and use it !!  Follow Jacon4`s instruction !!  Its a nice chair and well worth keeping !!

[jacon4]

Thought I'd try and post a pic of a period low back windsor, this one is C. 1760-1780 made in Philadelphia

[jacon4]

Wow, posting pic's on here is getting harder & harder! and taking longer & longer!

In any event, here is dealer's blurb about the chair

"The low-back is one of the earliest and most comfortable of all Windsor furniture. And the Philadelphia chair makers perfected the form, with wide, carved saddle seats and generous arms. Often used as garden furniture, many Windsors, like this example, were originally painted green to blend into the natural setting, then later painted black in the Victorian period."
It sold for $2850. which gives some perspective on what these chairs bring in todays market.
dealer link
http://www.hanesandruskin.com/mp.php?item=1648

[Rauville]

Growing up next to the railroad tracks I spent a lot of time hanging around the depot. I remember the local agent spending much of his time in a similar styled chair with glass insulators on the feet that made it easy to slide around on the hardwood floor.

[jacon4]

Yeah, windsors have been a big hit ever since they hit the furniture world over 200 years ago in the 18th century because they are a very comfortable chair. The fact that they are still being made today speaks volumes about their popularity.