Hans Wegner CH25 Chair  

European White Oak was the wood of choice for early Wegner/Carl Hansen Chairs. 

The CH-25 was primarily offered in oak, but there was an option to buy it in beech for slightly less cost. I'm not sure if beech was an original option.

I wonder this about all Carl Hansen chairs, there's so much variation in all their models over the years. I haven't seen any CH29s online the same as mine, with oak construction and teak veneered backrests. The real distinguishing feature of mine being the underside finished in oak veneer. I've never seen others like that.

I'd also been looking at buying some CH24s, but the backrests were all oak, I am not sure if that precludes them from a certain era. It's a minefield.

The best you can do is look at other vintage examples online, but I'd have assumed oak was the first. I don't think I was even aware of vintage beech ones.

Thanks guys

I've seen old beech versions of early Wegner chairs in online listings (mostly CH-23 and CH-30), and beech is mentioned as an option or CH-25 in a 1961 Carl Hansen catalog. If someone has access to a CH catalog from the 50's (the earlier, the better), then we would be able to see if the beech options were offered then).

Since the cost savings was minimal compared to oak, there did not seem to have been many made in beech.

If someone did have access to a CH catalog from the 50s, i'm pretty sure we would all like to see it : )

Until such time as someone posts a Carl Hansen 50's catalogue, maybe these images from this publication dated 1953 will do.

Directory of Arts and Crafts Resources in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden; Copenhagen: Langkjaers Bogtryk; 1953 

2nd link from  national museum Norway. Unfortunately they don't mention the source for the date.

https://www.nasjonalmuseet.no/samlingen/objekt/OK-1978-0217A