Barcelona Chair - Stainless or Chrome  

Use a magnet
It will stick tight to chrome plated steel but not to stainless.

Also
Its my understanding that Knoll stamps the Mies signature in the Chrome plated versions, but not in the stainless steel versions - can anyone confirm this?

The magnet test is an accurate one...
but is should not really make a difference. MVDR had the first ones made for the Barcelona pavilion in chromed steel, but later, when living and workin in the U.S. he found a manufacturer capable of welding stainless to his expectation and approuved the stainless steel version.

Thanks...
to all for taking the time to reply. My concern with chrome is that I've heard it can flake, either with time or stress. While the stainless model is considerably more pricey, my plan is to find a chair that I can pass along to my daughter when they put me in a pine box.

Stainless or Chrome?
Stainless or Chrome?
If you ask for the better quality, and you are thinking in the long term, any doubt the stainless.
Yes chrome will flake in the long.
James Collins, you are right, but the other day, I asked a supplier to manufacture a piece, that I asked stainless, and I made the magnet test, just to joke, and???. Didn,t stick. Imagine my reaction!, phone calls here and there. At the end of the research, YES, there are some stainless steel that stick magnets. It depends on the kin and the chemical component.
Any way, If dosen,t stick it,s stainless, if it does? go on testing.

Some info from Knoll...
The stainless still chair is solid, one piece construction whereas the chrome is not. Who knew?

alloys
Yeh, be careful with the magnet test. There are quite a number of stainless steels available and some are magnetic. It shouldn't make that much difference for furniture which lives indoors . The characteristics of the stainless are determined by the alloys which are added in the making process. Top grade stuff used in marine and high exposure environments has higher amounts of the alloys chromium and nickel and possibly others like molybdenum.
I'm sure your supplier won't know much about stainless and it's contents but it might raise an eyebrow if you ask. Go for stainless, every time. Top quality chroming is hard to find ( I doubt your makers specified anything outstanding )and if you've ever wondered why it's so expensive to get things coated it's because the chemicals produced in the process are so HIGHLY toxic that they cost a fortune to get rid of............ gawd knows where they end up.....hic !

A little more info...
LuciferSum, I was in touch with Knoll and they advised that both the s/s and chrome models are stamped with the KnollStudio insignia.

Just DON'T sit on it.
As long as you don't actually use the chair to sit on, either will be fine. Remember, the barcelona chair is the MOST UNCOMFORTABLE CHAIR ON THE PLANET! It was only ever designed to look good in an expo hall. A case of form before function.

I have to disagree Stephen...
with your statement:"...It was only ever designed to look good in an expo hall. A case of form before function..."
The original function of the Barcelona chair was to be used by the Queen and King of Spain during a brief word of welcome in the German Pavilion of the Barcelona world exhibition. It was designed to make them look gracious and to seat them comfortably for that short a period of time. I do not think that it was a product of pure functionality, it certainly was not, but it is not form before function, it is form and function...and...for the known reasons the original function has been exceeded

Koen...
You know I love you and think you are a handsome and intelligent individual.
But I did I know that the Barcelona chair was for the Spanish Royals, and that it wasn't meant to be sat on for very long.
Which is my point...do you really want a chair in your living room that is exceedingly uncomfortable after 3 minutes and 15 seconds? And why design such a creature in the first place?
Okay, so it's form AND function, but the function really sucks.
S