Hello, I want to check something, Im having 2 bertoias form years ago. But I wonder if they are real ones or reproduction. They way the base is attached to the seat, feels not like all the other ones are done, or maybe this is an older edition. I think I need an expert eye on this to help me out. Thanks a lot
the original vs. the reproduction
The Bertoia chairs were produced in quantity by Knoll in their East Greenville,Penn factory. Since the Knoll price was reasonable and the production basically manual, competitors in the USA had no economic justification for copying the Bertoia chairs. Hence, very few, if any American made reproductions exist. However, when Knoll became international the Bertoia chairs were made for Knoll by suppliers in Italy and other countries. A metal working factory near Verona called Interbeta produced the Bertoia chairs and the Barcelona series for Knoll. Then later the production was shifted to a second factory near Fano on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It was economically convenient for Knoll to buy the chrome versions of the Bertoia in Italy where the quality was excellent and the price was low. However, when Knoll closed their operation in Italy these companies continued to produce these chairs and they were exported throughout the world. To add to the confusion, the Bertoia chairs have also been produced on license from Knoll by Interform of Buenos Aires. All of these versions are slightly different and the quality varies. The truth is that during the last 30 years the majority of the reproductions of the Bertoia chairs sold in the USA were from productions that were once sold under the Knoll label.
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